Not This Time
by DarkHybridChild
Summary: CanonStoryline twisting. Searching high and low for a certain Uchiha leads Shikamaru to awaken from a fight in the presence of another Uchiha. Things begin to take a toll in his life: follow his heart and promise or return to Konoha and the life he hates?
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Not This Time.  
**Series:** Naruto: Shippuuden.  
**Rating:** R(M)  
**Genres:** Action-Adventure, Angst, Drama, Romance, Family-Friendship, uhh...I dunno?  
**Warnings:** Swearing, violence (when is this new?), sexual-themes? The author creating a weird love triangle? Uh...the author throwing the canon to the wind...? Yeah...**  
**

**DSK:** This fic sort of follows the canon and then breaks away into my own timeline that Jamie and I created. Yes, we have too much time on our hands with all of this creating...xD

* * *

It was bad enough he was chasing after one Uchiha. From Kiri to the remains of Oto and back again, in an insane game of cat and mouse. It was bad enough he was wasting his time and life away, having fallen for the Uchiha. It was bad enough that he'd finally cornered them, engaging in a near-death fight with them. And it only got worse when he awoke and found himself in the presense of the other Uchiha.

Why were the fates so cruel?

Shikamaru stared warily up from against the tree he was leaning against. His body was shivering, wrapped in a blanket with a coat over it. Said coat belonging to a one Uchiha Itachi. Neither spoke from the time he'd awoken. The dark haired Akatsuki member silently handed the Chuunin a bowl of rice, which the other accepted reluctantly, picking at it for a few moments before taking a testing bite. When he didn't die after a few minutes, he deemed it safe enough and continued eating until he'd finished it all.

He found all of the wounds he'd recieved in his fight with the Uchiha's younger brother were either healed or wrapped. He'd looked questionably towards the deadly male, but all he recieved was a blank stare. Averting his eyes, he proceeded to stare up towards the sky a little, but not enough to take his concentration away from who he was with.

His body shivered again, pain aching from several of the wounds--he could tell they were already infected. But he'd be damned if he'd ever admit it to anyone. The silence went on for what seemed like eternity to the Konoha genius, but could have only been an hour or two. Three, at most. The chuunin felt around, feeling all of his weapons and gear still intact, untouched and left alone by the elder Uchiha. Did he not think he were a challenge, or was it something else?

Finally breaking the silence, Shikamaru spoke. "Am I allowed to leave?"

The Akatsuki member's gaze rose, settling on him, drawing a shiver of slight fear to the Chuunin's body. The gaze was unsettling, he couldn't read the other at all. Nothing, there was no trace of any thought or emotion. It scared him. This was what Sasuke feared; this was the same person whom Sasuke swore vengance to, the same person labeled a Genius and prodigy of Konoha. Wasn't this to be the same Fate the younger Uchiha would suffer once his goal was acomplished?

Another tremor ran through him at that thought. No, he couldn't allow that. Not even if he had to chase the other down again and fight once more, he wouldn't allow it. To hell with the mission, he'd gone way too deep this time. He'd let his emotions sink into the equation, overestimating his own restraint and will-power.

"Yes."

He nearly startled, snapping back to reality and back from his thoughts at the single word. Yes? He was... But...why? He wanted to ask, but thought better of it. Even if he did, he would perhaps not get an answer. Or if he did, perhaps it was one he would be better off not knowing. He carefully pushed the blankets off of his body, willing his sore and tired body to move. He hid the pain as he slowly stood, taking his time to acess the damage he'd taken and his limitations. Minimal, but could cause him casualty if approached.

He looked away from the Uchiha, frowning. "Uh...thanks, I guess... If that's actually appropriate for the situation," He mumbled, scratching the back of his head. What was one supposed to say after being healed by his infatuation's brother, whom had sworn vengance to?

The other didn't respond verbally, just gave a sharp nod. Shikamaru sighed heavily, stretching, his back clicking several times, making him wince at the sharp pain that stabbed through his ribs. He clenched his jaw, but took a slow step, stepping over the blanket and cloak, but bent, picking the black cloak, almost intently studying the red cloud pattern as if it would tell him something before he continued to walk and stopped to the side of Itachi, facing out and silently handed the coat back.

The taller Uchiha's pale and long fingers closed around it, the tips of his cold digits barely brushing over the shadow possessor's as they took the long article of clothing back, emotionless onyx eyes moving to stare up at him. And all the Nara heir could do was helplessly stare back, almost desperately wishing inwardly that they belonged to another Uchiha, one who's eyes were not cold and unreadable, but still alive with life and emotion. Anger, maybe, but still emotion.

"Your interest in my otouto will be your downfall, Shikamaru-kun." Itachi spoke, his voice level, but soft. It never changed. It made an involuntary shiver run up his spine. He stared, trying to piece words together, but his mind didn't want to work. "What else am I supposed to do, then?" He finally replied. "I'm only human, being a Shinobi comes second, Itachi-san. My feelings for your younger brother should be of no concern to you, especially if it ever came to my health, right? Unless you have ulterior motives, of course."

He started to move, but the other was faster and had stood, turned, and snatched his wrist in a tight grip, unallowing, superior. Commanding and cold all at once, he stopped moving the instant he felt the fridgedness from the Uchiha's fingers sinking into his skin. The other's eyes had bled to red, the Mangekyou clearly seen. An unreadable sign passed over their eyes, but Shikamaru couldn't react fast enough to comprehend it, he didn't understand.

"It is of my concern," The eldest Uchiha replied smoothly, though the Shadow-user cringed at the underlying hintings of emotion he could barely sense. "Sasuke will always be of my concern, whether or not you will ever understand that. You can't save him from the path he's chosen." The Nara heir was tempted to smirk cockily, mirroring the very expression of the brother Itachi was speaking of and reply 'just watch me', but he was no fool. One did not get away with saying such things to a killer. Least of all one of the most notorious such as Uchiha Itachi.

"I will get him back, and if I must stake my life to do it, so be it. Call me foolish, but even I can be driven if I want it enough," Shikamaru replied, turning his head away from the Uchiha, unable to take staring into the swirl of red that he longed to see on another's face. He only wanted to see the Sharingan from one person, and this was not the one he sought, no matter how similar the differences were. He could not betray his own feelings for a substitute, lying to himself would get him nowhere.

But yet his heart fluttered when he felt the older Uchiha's grip loosen, before gently pulling him, coaxing him to turn around to face them. His pulse quickened by the barest of caresses to his cheek before Itachi's cold fingers tilted his chin up, his eyes snapping back to lock on the red-whorls of the Sharingan, falling into them yet again as they attempted to draw him in deeper and deeper. This was--

He felt himself leaning into the taller, a wave of emotions and thoughts hit him all at once, making him dizzy, butterflies swarmed his stomach and his breathing kept hitching, unable to stay even as he could feel the subtle prods to his mind from the Sharingan. He could feel the attemps of a Genjutsu. Focus. He had to focus. But he couldn't look away, the Uchiha held too much power over him.

"Interesting... You can resist and ward the effects of the Sharingan..."

Shikamaru's eyes widened a little at the other's voice. It had lost some of its monotone, the tone changing in the slightest. The way it resounded in his mind--a shiver wracked his body in response, trembling. He wanted to move, but could not. This... Why did Itachi make him feel like this? Why did he have so much control over him? He wasn't--could never be--so why was he--? His cognitive responses had slowed immensely and he had to fight to think clearly.

"I-I've become used to it... The only genjutsu I can't resist from the Sharingan--ah--..." His voice was weak and broken, filled with rasps from his sudden lack of air, his eyes felt like they were swimming deeper and deeper into a void of blood and darkness, the two combining in a swirl until there was nothing left but despair. Was this--?

"The Tsukuyomi." Itachi's voice responded without hesitation, and the only thing the chuunin could do was nod in reply.

"Not even another Sharingan user can stand up to its power," Itachi continued, though they both knew this knowledge well. And it was the knowledge of such that warrented the spike of fear that Shikamaru felt when the other's hold tightened again, this time, their other hand rising up to clasp the hold of his other arm. Even at his height after three years, Itachi still towered over him, like a looming darkness to block out the shades of light. Even his own shadow feared his darkness.

"With the power of it, I could rip everything in your mind asunder; I could tear all of your mental psyche to pieces," Itachi continued quietly. Shikamaru only nodded again silently, already acknowledging and known those words to be true. "But the power comes with a price, as all things do..." The elder of the two sighed lightly, but the adept and observant chuunin noticed the differences. The Sharingan-wielder's eyes looked tired; his expression, though indifferent, was worn and heavy, everything in his stance sagged a little, but still alert and aware.

He knew the elder was worn thin. For what reason, he didn't know. He wasn't sure he wanted to know, yet...he still wanted to ask, but he kept his mouth shut. He knew well enough that Itachi wasn't finished. "Eternal darkness is the price for this kind of power," Itachi said emotionlessly, his tone heavy, but the Nara heir could still hear the deep-settled weariness in it. "The more you use of its gifts, the more you sink into the darkness. The price for this power is high, whether it's through achieving it by your own means, or killing one close to you. Too high, for the consequences of such power are not worth the effort."

Shikamaru's brows furrowed. So...Itachi was going blind. But... "Why tell me this?" He asked slowly. The other's eyes looked back down at him, as they had closed momentarily. The Sharingan was no longer active in them now. "Because I'm tired," The nuke-nin answered honestly. "I'm tired, Shikamaru-kun. I'm tired of this game of cat and mouse with my otouto. If you plan to keep chasing him, then you must know. You must know so that you can prevent my foolish otouto from falling into the wrong hands yet again. Madara will stop at nothing to have him."

Shikamaru frowned darkly. "Madara..." He repeated softly, curiousity finally rising to his eyes as his expression became grim. "Tell me," He said in a resolved, but heavy sigh.

Itachi let go of Shikamaru's arm and wrist and slowly sat back down in the place he had been sitting in. Wordlessly, he motioned for the Konoha chuunin to sit as well. "It's a long tale, one that dates back before the existence of Konoha, even. During the third great Ninja war, did it all start. What I am to tell you, you will tell no other. This information is only for the purpose of knowing and preventing Sasuke from becoming Madara's puppet."

"Who would believe any information I got from Uchiha Itachi willingly? Besides, I keep things to myself, why bother with such a troublesome thing as spread it around like a wildfire gossip?" The shadow-user responded blandly with a blank look. Returning the look, the Uchiha nodded sharply again and began to recant his tale.

* * *

**-TBC-  
**

* * *

**DHC:** Yes, readers, it ends here. Please don't kill me for cutting it off here. You'll soon find out everything I've planned. And I think you can see where it sort of parallels the canon in this...hopefully.


	2. Chapter 2

**Title:** Not This Time  
**Series:** Naruto: Shippuuden.  
**Rating:** R(M)  
**Genres:** Action-Adventure, Angst, Drama, Romance, Family-Friendship, uhh...I dunno?  
**Warnings:** Swearing, violence (when is this new?), sexual-themes? The author creating a weird love triangle? Uh...the author throwing the canon to the wind...? Yeah...**  
**

**DHC:** Here's chapter two...finally. Damn, it took me a long time. -headesk-

* * *

Shikamaru leapt from one branch to another, legs mechanically pushing off to another, chakra flowing from his feet to further the jump and stick the landing only to repeat the process over and over again. The tension in his legs acted like springs, coiling and releasing--his movements were repetitive, long since used to them and no longer needed to focus. Any pain or discomfort his aching limbs had, it was pushed back.

His jaw was clenched in concentrated determination, following the trail the other had left behind, leaping to yet another branch only to push off several milliseconds later. He couldn't stop, no matter how much his body strained and the way his thighs and calves quivered from the repeated moving, bearing the brunt of his weight and shock from each jump. His lungs burned, he was out of breath. Dammit, he knew he should've stopped smoking...

_'Let me be your Sasuke...'_

'What?'

'He could never understand or appreciate the true depth of your affections; I can. I wouldn't take them for granted.'

'...But-'

'You know as well as I, that he cannot see the true things he needs. He took you, and everyone else--for granted.'

He nearly lost his balance, his jump timed wrong as his legs nearly gave out on him. He didn't cry out as he fell, just clenched his jaw tighter, righting his fall and landed on his feet, bending his legs and absorbed the shock. He wearily collapsed back against the tree to steady himself, trying to catch his breath and give his tired muscles a small break.

As much as he wanted to continue to move, he knew it would be no help in the long run. What good would he be if he gave out when he got there? No, he needed the spare energy to get back out. His throat burned as he swallowed dryly, lungs contracting painfully as he exhaled.

_'...I can't. We both know it wouldn't last. You, with your heart set on dying and I, with my mind wrapped in thoughts of your other.'_

'Hn... That is true. Nevertheless, let me be what he cannot for you... Even if it is only for one day or one week, let me fill the spaces my foolish otouto never could.'

'...Why would you want to?'

'I'm only human, Shikamaru-kun; I admire you. Is it so hard to believe that I can see what my brother could, or what he could not in you?'

His eyes closed, his fists clenched, the knuckles white as he felt his body (unwillingly) slide down the trunk of the tree to the ground below. He licked his dry, cracked lips, the sting from it was relished as it kept his mind focused. His eyes wanted nothing more than to drop closed and sleep, but he willed himself not to.

Once he was sure his body had rested and his pulse was even once more--his breathing at ease again, he pushed himself up, taking a small capsule out of his pouch and popped it into his mouth, swallowing it. A solider pill. While it would temporarily increase his chakra, speed, and power, there were repurcussions to using it. While it could be compared to the cursed seal, it did not, however, drag the user into a mental instability. It would just compensate the body's physical state for the increase later on.

Shikamaru's lips were a grim line, his jaw set once more in determination as he pushed off from the ground, grabbing a branch and used the momentum to swing and land on another branch, starting the process once again of jumping once more. He was getting close--he could feel it throughout his body, he could sense it in the air--it was heavy and the sensation of Ozone swept down his arms, the hair on them raising.

_'I must leave.'_

'Why...? Why now?'

'You know why; I haven't forgotten what I must do.'

'It's all for nothing, what you'll do! Reconsider!'

'It is not for nothing; as the knowledge you know now will be consolence for him. Perhaps my original plan hasn't worked out, but there's hope still.'

'I-....'

'Here is some of my power; I should hope...you never will have to use it. Keep him safe; Madara's claws are longer and can sink deeper than you know...'

The feeling only got stronger the closer he got. The sky had turned an unnatural gray, and he could feel the sheer chakra that radiated throughout the area. It made him stagger when he came to a stop--it winded him from the force. He'd not felt such... Was it...? No, it couldn't be, not yet!

Calming his racing thoughts, his hands formed a seal he'd become almost as familiar with as the seal for his kagemane. Almost instantly, a black raven appeared on a branch above him. It flew down to his outstretched arm and a near forlorn expression came to his face as he brought his hand up to stroke the feathers along the wing, his fingers shaking the slightest in contained emotion. The price to be paid...

_'But--'_

'I cannot exist so long as he lives, and he cannot as long as I do. You've known this from the start.'

'Yes... But still, I...'

'...No matter what place I may hold in your heart, it will always be the spaces between his. We are of the same coin; but we lie on opposite sides. It is time for the coin to flip, Shikamaru-kun.'

'I know.'

'Follow me; put a three hour space between us. Don't interfere, and stay well enough away from it. I know Madara will be watching some way or another.'

'...Yes.'

"Go. Be my eyes."

Without question or hesitation, the black bird took off. He couldn't risk getting close enough. Not yet--he knew the area was being watched and he had to be careful. Rain began to fall from the chakra-infused clouds, quickly becoming a down pour and thunder rang, flashes of lightning could be seen around.

Breath caught in Shikamaru's throat at the sheer force that suddenly reigned itself down, lightning began to gather, gathering down into one gathered place like being directed to a lightning rod. Then--**BOOM**--it struck once more in a concentrated force, the entire area around rocking like an earthquake, parts of the area cracking and even mighty trees splintered and sundered at its force.

He had to keep his feet firmly chakra-enforced to the tree to keep from falling, but even then, the force of it dampened his own control. It took him a moment to clear his mind from the sudden hell it had become--whirling and racing, many things flying through it in an effort to stirr the most reaction. He was shaking harder than before as his eyes turned blank, withdrawing almost.

_'The key to the Seeing Eye is to detach yourself from both your mind and your body. It is a free-flowing state with dire consequences should you let yourself go too far.'_

'How do I learn it?'

'First, clear your mind and relax it. Like meditation; then, your body. Soon enough, you'll start feeling your consciousness as if it were floating. That is the key; master that, and I will teach you the final part.'

His body relaxed against the tree and it looked as if all life had ceased in him, save for the shallow breaths his body took in an automated way to stay functioning. Some part of him was still aware of his body and mind, but the rest of him was floating; weightless, and free.

It wasn't a matter of being lost now, however. He knew exactly where his conscious was and what he was doing. It was no longer a game of hide and seek between minds. Once he felt the familiar presence of mind and body, did he begin to see again.

His eyes--not his own--calculated damage, the destruction, could see everything that he couldn't have from where his body was. And if he were still _in_ his body, he was fairly sure he would've staggered and-or fallen over in relief. However, he was once again horrified at the sudden appearance of a very, very ugly, familiar snake that he rather wished he hadn't have saw.

He didn't need to see any more, everything, he knew, would be over shortly anyway. Letting his consciousness return to his body he shifted carefully, waiting.

It was twenty--maybe less--minutes or so later by the time he heard the mournful crowing--the caw of the raven as it circled before flying back down in a long arched loop before returning to its master.

He knew without even having to ask, what the outcome was.

And he knew his window was short.

Jumping down, he flash-stepped as carefully as he could to the near fully destroyed building. All the while, he slowly drew his mind into a clear state--his emotions were temporarily suppressed by the time he stepped into the havoc zone, anticipating the sight. Two bodies were lying side by side, opposites. He feared for a moment both were dead, but upon inspection, Sasuke was breathing shallowly. He didn't have time--he had to act. performing the seals he'd long-since mastered, he was able to seal Itachi's lifeless body away temporarily to a containing scroll.

Time was short, he knew that they were coming. Which, or who, didn't matter. Tucking the scroll away, it took most of his effort to lift the nearly lifeless body of the other Uchiha. He was tired, too, but he couldn't stop. He had to get as far away as possible.

Hoping that he had enough time to get a headstart, he started flash-stepping away again, using short kawarimi's in between to leave gaps in his already faint chakra trail he knew he was leaving behind. He was low enough that it would take even a good tracker some time to fully follow it.

He hoped it would be enough, he had to keep moving.

He didn't stop running, even after he'd long run out of chakra. He kept going until his own vision clouded with the visages of exhaustion. He slowed, before slowly setting Sasuke's form down, noting the long wince of pain they made from it. Weary, he pulled out another scroll and unsealed it, retrieving items and, low-chakra or not, knelt and began to heal the other as best as he could, wrapping and disinfecting other wounds he couldn't.

By the time he was finished, he was close to passing out. Putting what energy and chakra he had from his reserves, he formed another set of seals--the air shimmered for a moment before settling. He flopped down against the tree, hoping the camouflage genjutsu would be enough to shield them from anyone if they happened to pass or follow. He could do nothing more.

His mind already sinking fast, his eyes soon followed and within moments after, chakra and physical exhaustion overtook him and he fell into a dead slumber.

His last subconscious thought was an apology and a prayer.

**TBC**

**DHC:** Annnd that's all you're getting. -dies- That took so much out of me... And you all can see how shitty I am at trying to recount the manga-scene in words. xD


	3. Chapter 3

**Title:** Not This Time  
**Series:** Naruto: Shippuuden  
**Rating:** R(M)  
**Genres:** Action-Adventure, Angst, Drama, Romance, Family-Friendship, uhh...I dunno?  
**Warnings:** Swearing, violence (when is this new?), sexual-themes? The author creating a weird love triangle? Uh...the author throwing the canon to the wind...? Yeah...**  
**

**Note:** Be prepared for a long, emotional overhaul in this chapter, people. And finally, you do get some ShikaSasuness in this chapter, people. It's just sorta angsty. It's all good, though.

* * *

When Shikamaru awoke, he wasn't sure how long time had passed. It was mid-afternoon, and his back was going to kill him if he didn't _move_. With a weak hiss, he detached himself from the tree he was leaning against and arched his back forward, getting several loud cracks and pops. He stretched with a wince, before turning his head, checking on Sasuke.

He was still out, sagged heavily against the tree, breath shallow, looking unrestful. Frowning, Shikamaru moved up onto his knees and turned, pulling the Uchiha towards him, watching the doll-like reaction as their head lolled back and body remained slack. He brought his other hand up and felt their forehead. They were burning with a fever.

Cursing inwardly, he laid the other teen out on the ground, pulling out a scroll from one of his pockets. He sighed heavily, forming the seals to open it and took several things out of it. A bottle of water, a cloth, some bandages, disinfectants, and other provisions he had. Wetting the cloth, he wringed most of the water out, waving the cloth around a little to catch enough air to cool it and laid it across the teen's forehead. Next, he went about checking the wrapped injuries, disinfecting, cleaning them, and rewrapping them and healing the minor ones that he could.

His heart for some reason was pounding in his chest and his hands shook after he'd finished. He shuddered, fighting off a wave of anxiety. He did his best to push aside everything and focus. He finally stood, checking the area around them. He didn't want to leave the other here, but he needed to go and scout out the place at least a little to know the surrounding. It was with reluctance that he placed some more genjutsu barriers and some traps around that he wrapped the Uchiha up and silently leaped up to the trees, taking off from them to get some surveillance of the area.

He found a small creek not too far away, the area was mostly flat, but surrounded with many trees, providing good enough shelter, and plenty of vegetation and wildlife. He'd all but accident stumbled upon a deer's nesting place.

And while he never was one to take life unless he had to, he knew for the longrun, he would need protein and meat to survive. He withdrew a bow from one of the scrolls he had, and a few arrows. It was practical, but he didn't want to waste any chakra or any of his other weapons just in case he needed them. He took a deep breath, fitting an arrow into the string before drawing it back and taking aim directly for the skull--he wasn't going to take a chance by trying to hit any other vital area--and let go.

The deer dropped in an instant and the others that were around scattered in a blur of speed and agility. He lept down from the tree he'd been crouched in and re-sealed the bow and arrows, only to take out a skinning knife. Grimacing, the Nara knelt down next to the dead animal and silently apologized to both the life he'd taken, and the surrounding nature--he had a strict belief of respecting nature and not thanking it for its gifts was a sin. He slowly went about skinning it and gutting it--with much hesitance and begrudgance because kami, they stunk heavily, and worked on separating the meat from the bone, wrapping as much as he could and cleaning the knife off before he sealed them back into the scroll and started to head back, feeling more than a little awful for not being able to use the whole of the animal.

On his way back, he had to stop. The feeling he'd had came back and it made him sick to his stomach. His hands started shaking again and before he knew it, he was on his knees, shaking and fighting off a wave of emotion. He'd pushed it aside in order to do the things he needed, but it wouldn't leave him alone. His thoughts jumbled again, and he was gasping for air, his lungs decided to compact in on him.

His vision blurred and he hardly recognized the sudden liquid heat that hit the back of his hand. Squinting, it finally dawned on him that it was neither rain nor water, but tears. And it was only a fraction longer until he realized he was crying. Things became distorted, his thoughts flew a thousand times a minute, and he felt dizzy--emotionally, physically--his lungs burned, heaving loudly and sounding harsh in his ears, every sound seemed like a scream--until he came to see that what he was hearing _was_ a scream. His own, and he couldn't stop.

He needed to let it all out. While normally, he wasn't one to get worked up over such things, he also knew he was at his limit emotionally, and maybe physically. He cried for what seemed like, to him, ever, but could have only been twenty minutes at tops before he could finally breathe without a tremble or shake and about five more minutes until he was able to push himself up from the ground. He knew he must've looked like he'd been dragged through hell, but he didn't care and made his way back to where he'd left Sasuke.

On the way back, he stopped to refill all the bottles he'd had with water from the small creek after filtering it carefully by digging another small trench and letting it pool there. He didn't want to risk making a fire to cook some of the meat, so he ended up using a katon jutsu, and took out a survival ration to go along with it, eating it first before eating the small portion of meat he pretty much broiled. It wasn't much, but it would have to last. Sighing heavily, he looked up at the sky, as if asking for some type of clarity before he packed everything away once more and stretched again.

He had to get a move on. He couldn't afford staying in once place long. Reluctantly, he took the cloth and blanket off of Sasuke, checking him over once more, before sealing those things away and picking the other up and shifting him onto his back before he took off at a sprint, channeling a small amount of chakra to his legs to make up for the lack of balance and speed. This time, he couldn't risk using Sunshin's or Kawarimi's, so he kept to just running.

He didn't stop until it was the dead of night and he could barely see three feet ahead of him. He found a small, abandoned den and settled in it with Sasuke. He didn't sleep, he was far too paranoid to relax and do so, even if he was generally renowned for being lazy and could sleep for probably an entire year if someone let him, but he just couldn't. His nerves were too wired. He waited until the sky lightened and he could see better before he set out again with the Uchiha on his back once more.

He traveled three days this way, and didn't--couldn't stop until he knew he was within the borders of Fire Country. He wasn't heading for Konoha, though. No, that was the last place he would ever think to be going. Not with the information he knew, and the fact that the Uchiha would just run again the instant he awoke to find himself there. Instead, he headed southeast and headed for Suna. Gaara, although rather strict and sometimes harsh, would let them stay anonymously, he knew that much. He could stock supplies and watch over the Uchiha there without worry. Besides, Temari owed him a couple favors as it was, anyway.

He was halfway there when he reached his point of exhaustion--which had been three more days, nearly a week. He took to a small, abandoned outpost he knew of that was within the Konoha-Suna boundaries and settled there. He was able to relax...if only a fraction. He at least knew that most people searching for them wouldn't think he'd be heading for Suna; they'd believe he'd be heading back to Konoha.

While he did feel a twinge of guilt, knowing that perhaps Konoha may be assaulted because of that fact, another, larger part of him didn't care. He hated his life in Konoha, and, upon finding out some already startling facts, having searched through the entire Uchiha compound for any clues--yes, he did that--did he leave in an attempt to hunt down the rogue Uchiha and tell him such. Itachi's interference and side of the story only made it even more clearer to him. He wasn't going back willingly for a _long_ time.

Sighing, he pushed aside such thoughts and finished setting up the makeshift camp inside the small outpost before he laid the still-out Uchiha down and checked over him once more. His wounds had mostly healed, leaving some scars and some had healed entirely, thanks to the limited medical jutsu the Shadow-user knew. Still, he silently worried that something else might be wrong, as the others chakra levels were normal again and his physical condition was stabilized, he should be waking at anytime.

It was with those troubling thoughts that he finally succumbed to sleep. When he awoke the next morning, his worries came back. He pushed them aside and started to prepare a meager breakfast. Porridge from the remaining berries and oats he'd had on him, some more of the deer meat, and another ration bar. He, this time, took a little more time in preparing it and cooked it normally instead of using a katon jutsu.

He nearly burned himself when he saw the other figure stir. A quiet groan penetrated the silence he'd become used to. The Uchiha shifted around some more before he finally saw the others lids flutter in an attempt to open.

"I suppose I better make more, then." He mumbled aloud.

Sasuke's eyes cracked open and he sat up slowly, wincing a little as some of the slower wounds decided to be stingy. He rubbed his eyes, blinking owlishly as he looked around confusedly. "Where..." He started to ask, before his voice gave out and became a rasp. It appeared his vocal chords weren't used to the strain of trying to talk.

"You're in Fire Country, in the Konoha-Suna borders." Shikamaru replied softly.

Starting, Sasuke's head whipped around, making a loud crack as it did, but the Uchiha's piercing onyx eyes met his, before widening a little in recognition.

"...Shikamaru..." He whispered, though he meant it to be louder, it was as loud as his voice could make it.

Nodding, the Nara pulled away from the fire, taking out a bottle of water and slowly approached the other and offered it to them silently. It was accepted reluctantly and he didn't think he'd ever see the other gulp it down so greedily as if it were his life--he supposed, in a way, it was since it was the only thing the other had had in a while.

"You've been asleep nearly a week..." He informed.

The other set the bottle aside and nodded a little.

"...I'm not going back to Konoha, you know." The smaller finally said after several moments of silence.

"I know," Came the reply.

The other cast him a glance. "Then why are we here?"

"I was heading to Suna, as no one would think to check there, and Temari owes me a few favors."

He was tempted to smile at the others slightly speechless expression. He decided to play his cards out. He knew it had been all or nothing from the start; if he didn't get it, then he knew there was no second chance.

"I know your dislike for Konoha, and I understand it. I hate it, too. That's why I left and came after you. I found out some things that...were unpleasant."

"Unpleasant..." Sasuke echoed softly, brows furrowing. He gave him a curious glance.

Sighing heavily, Shikamaru moved and went back to the makeshift stove he had and took the porridge off and turned the meat before he spooned some out into a bowl, and took a ration bar and went back, offering them to the other who accepted them without hesitance.

"It's a long story, and it may take a while. Give me a moment to finish this and format the data into a comprehendable way." It wasn't a stall, his mind wasn't in the greatest of states and, he really was hungry. It was a perfectly just request. And to his luck, or perhaps it was just the others weariness, the other nodded.

He turned back to the fire and waited for the meat to finish cooking, all the while trying to gather his thoughts and arrange them once again into a way he could understand and in a way he could say it to make the other understand. Five minutes later the meat was finished and he took it off of the fire and cut it in half and gave one half to his companion and began to eat his half, all the while with a dazed and thinking expression on.

"Where to begin..." He mumbled aloud. He sighed heavily. "I suppose I'll start with what made me begin to loathe Konoha."

To this, the Sharingan user's brow rose in interest. He didn't speak, but nodded slowly to let the other speak.

"As you well know, Konoha's reputation has never been that great... Well, I found even more proof that made even me disgusted."

The Shadow-wielder was blunt, and to the point. And the look of shock across the others expression made him smile grimly. Deciding that there was no gentle way of saying it, he came out with it.

"Konoha was founded by the Senjuu and Uchiha, and there was a fight as to which clan should lead, because they never trusted one another to begin with. Uchiha Madara lost to the Shodaime, as you know. And, in an attempt to keep the peace, made the Uchiha security of the town,"

The other nodded, already knowing this.

"However, it was just a ruse to keep tabs on the other and wait for a chance to strike." There, he said it.

The others eyes widened, and the grip the younger had on their plate became nonexistent, mouth opening agape.

"But--how--that's--" Sasuke tried to form a coherent sentence, and failed. The news was a large shock to him.

"I know," Shikamaru replied softly, nodding.

"It was a shock to me, too. But the truths are there. That is where it begins. I... Well, I don't care if you hate me for this, but I ransacked the Uchiha complex--" To that, the others expression changed from shocked to a cold one in a matter of seconds, startling the other.

Knowing he was treading on thin ice, he carefully chose his words. "I was looking for more data, more information on these facts...I looked through some of the scrolls of their history... It wasn't pretty."

The smaller frowned. "There are no such scrolls, I've looked everywhere."

Smiling sadly, the Nara heir shook his head. "They were in your brother's room," He informed softly.

"I think...he meant for you to find them. But you never thought to look there, did you?"

There was silence. He had his answer.

"Anyway, I read them... And, you're not going to like this, Sasuke, but I swear on my life, that everything I say next is true."

Sasuke stared long and hard at the other, dread started to creep into him. Alarms were going off in his mind and he wanted to shake his head and deny it even before he knew it, but he knew that would be being a coward and if anything, he thought himself anything but.

Shikamaru took a deep breath, watching the insecure and unsettled emotions play across the others open face--he was sure that this was the most emotion he'd ever seen besides anger. He waited until the other settled again before continuing.

"The Uchiha were planning a Coup D'etat." He couldn't lie, or sugar coat it. He refused to, and he knew, that the other would never forgive him for doing so. He had no other way to say it other than being blunt and harsh.

What he was expecting--outrage, screams of denial, maybe even a laugh of mocking--it never came. Instead, there was just silence. He stared hard at the other, and he could see it. Disbelief, betrayal, and suddenly, clarity and understanding within the turmoil. It was the eye of the storm and he wasn't sure whether to fear it or be relieved.

"They...were going to...?"

"Yes. I took the chronicles to the Hokage who went through the Recorded files the previous Hokage's had... The Sandaime had a small recorded order. Sasuke, I'm sorry... I can't make this any easier on you. Your brother...was innocent this entire time. The Uchiha made Itachi become Anbu to be their ear so the could plan the best time for a Coup, and at the same time, the Sandaime was using him as a spy for them. He was a double agent, caught in the middle. Your brother chose the peace of Konoha over your family's selfish ideals and revealed everything to the Sandaime. Shisui had been monitoring him incase of this and confronted him; Itachi was forced to kill him and forged the suicide note with the Sharingan. That's how he got his Mangekyou. Sasuke...the order...was the massacre of your entire family. Every single one. Including you.

"But, he couldn't. He couldn't kill you. He loved you too much. But he couldn't tell you the reasons why he did it, so he lied and told you he did it to test himself. Afterwards, he left Konoha and joined the Akatsuki as a spy. The order still stood, and Danzou, and two other counsel members pushed for your execution. The Sandaime, however, would not allow it. When he died, they tried to seize the moment and kill you, but your brother appeared that day at the funeral as a warning."

He finished the first half of the tale, trying not to betray his own emotion. He looked absolutely vexed and repulsed as he told the tale, but all he wanted to do was sleep again. He suddenly felt so tired, he knew he had to do this, but it was suddenly weighing on him like he were in a gravity genjutsu.

Sasuke sat there in heavy silence, trying his best to absorb all of the information he just heard. At the same time, so many emotions were trying to push to the surface. Anger, denial, hurt, confusion; so many thoughts and things ran through his mind. He was trembling all over, unsure if he was going to break or not.

"Your brother... He healed me after our fight," Shikamaru continued hesitantly, slowly bringing the Uchiha's focus back to him.

"He told me the rest of that story. I only knew about the Senjuu going to try and take out the Uchiha and the records of the Uchiha. I was trying to find you and tell you that... When your brother healed me...he told me the rest of it, but there's also more."

"More...?" Came the quiet question. He could hear the weak and vulnerability in the tone, and he silently sympathized the other--his world had just been shattered, everything he believed was wrong.

"Yes... Uchiha Madara is alive, Sasuke. I know, it sounds so crazy, but I'm not lying. He's alive, and he's the real leader of the Akatsuki, not Pein. He's been posing as Tobi. He was Itachi's teacher, and he helped him with the massacre, then took him into the Akatsuki. He's immortal. He has a stronger Sharingan than the Mangekyou."

"St-stronger...?" The Uchiha nearly choked on his tongue at those words, suddenly recalling his brothers words during their fight; it was almost the exact same story.

"It's called the Eternal Mangekyou. The normal Mangekyou will make the user to blind. Madara was going blind after he and his brother achieved the Mangekyou. In desperation of not going blind, he took his brothers eyes and killed him, because his brother had not so foolishly used his repeatedly. The power was enough to restore his sight as well as keep him from going blind, and that is how one attains it, by taking their siblings eyes. He tried to lead the Uchiha and get them to overthrow the Senjuu, but at that time, they would not listen and cast him aside.

"He went and found the Bijuu, Kyuubi of the Ninetails and mesmerized it with the power of the Sharingan and he and the Shodaime had their fight at the Valley of the End. He lost, because of the Senjuu's ability of being able to tame the Bijuu, and he disappeared, supposedly dead. He's also responsible for the Kyuubi attack those years ago that caused the death of the Yondaime."

"My brother...tried to take my eyes, though." Sasuke muttered weakly.

Shikamaru smiled sadly. "No, he didn't. He was ill, Sasuke. He was already dying before your fight with him. Even if he did take your eyes, it wouldn't have helped him. He did it to show you the way. He loved you enough to pose as the badguy so you would kill him and relieve him from the shame, and that you would be renowned as a Hero in Konoha for it, but you went to Orochimaru... So he altered his plans. He told me all of this, because Madara wants you. For what, he didn't know."

"...." Sasuke looked down and didn't reply. So many things stirred around inside of him. He felt so hurt and betrayed yet again--for different reasons. He was angry, but he was despaired the most.

Sighing, the Shadow nin stood from where he'd been sitting and began to pack things away. He glanced out the window. They needed to get a move on. But he wasn't even sure the other would come with him.

"Sasuke... I know it's hard, if I were in your place, I would be breaking down. But... This is something you need to think very hard over and weigh and decide for yourself. But there's no time here. We need to move before anyone decides to head this way. If we make it to Suna, you can have all the time you want to think it all over. For now, try to push it aside."

He knew he was asking a lot of the other, and truth be told, he was biting his lip hard, almost wishing he hadn't have run out of cigarettes because he needed one, badly. This was almost too much for him. If he could have his way, he would've sheltered the other and just swept him away, but that would have been running, and Sasuke had run too much already, he needed to know the entire truth so he could make a fully coherent choice and perhaps heal a little. But in order to do that, he needed to be in a space he could think clearly.

"...." Sasuke's eyes were glossed over when they looked at him, but the smaller shinobi nodded slowly and mechanically moved to stand, beginning to help pack things up. Ten minutes later, they were out and on the move. Sasuke moved at a slightly slower pace due to his injuries and his preoccupied thoughts and Shikamaru didn't press him.

They made it to Suna approximately five and a half hours later at the pace they'd been going at. Sasuke henged himself, so as not to reveal himself to anyone so they wouldn't be recognized. Temari met them at the gates and Shikamaru had to roughly barter with her before she nodded and transported them to the Kazekage's office.

Gaara, while not entirely pleased to see, or have the Uchiha in his presence, did allow them to stay and gave them a free room at a smaller inn towards the gates so they could leave when they wished.

Sasuke had gone into his small room and shut himself in the instant they got there, getting two curious looks from Temari and Kankuro as they looked at Shikamaru, who only shook his head and set his things down in his room before going outside to the bazzar to restock on supplies and other needed things.

---

Sasuke drew up a bath and stripped, all but sinking down into the hot water, closing his eyes and trying to relax while his mind did its best to go over everything that Shikamaru had told him. His brother...had been innocent the whole time. His family...were going to rebel against Konoha... And the Sandaime ordered his family to be put to death... and the Senjuu were going to find a way to move against his family... Madara being alive... The Eternal Mangekyou...

So many things swam through his head. He'd thought his brother was evil and all of his supposed 'caring' had been false...but he was wrong. He slipped off into an almost sleep-like state where he did his best to relive all his memories and sort them out.

One stuck out in particular. It was the night of the massacre.

_He thought he had passed out after his brother used the Tsukuyomi on him... He regained consciousness and saw his brother leaving. He picked up a kunai and ran after him. He threw it at him, knocking his brother's hitai-ate off of his head. The other turned towards him. He frowned as he thought he saw sadness in the others expression--but he thought he was imagining it--before he really did pass out._

His eyes snapped open wide and his entire body went ridged, the Sharingan flared of its own accord and the tomoes twisted, shifting and he nearly screamed, flinging his hands up to cover them and several moments later, blood dripped down into the water, tainting it red. Pulling his hands away, they were covered with blood, a stream of red flowed down his cheeks in place of tears, and his Sharingan had changed completely. Where there had only been three tomoes was now a star-like pattern in them with a pupil in the center.

He stared at his reflection in the water, before the tremors of his body disturbed the water and distorted it.

"A-Aniki..." He whispered aloud, biting his lip heavily as the blood from his eyes became more watery as tears mixed with them, further tainting the water he was sitting in. He stood shakily out of the water, climbing out and took one of the bathrobes from the small towel rack and wrapped it around him. He went to the door and slipped out, and silently walked down the hall a few doors before he lifted his still trembling arm and hesitantly knocked on the door.

---

Shikamaru sighed when he'd come back from the square, took a quick bath and had been doing his best to relax. His thoughts kept wandering back to everything. He'd finally stepped outside onto the balcony and was watching the sun sink below the horizon and the colours it cast over the town.

He knew it wasn't doing any good to question himself, but he couldn't help it. Was he doing the right thing? He didn't know. He didn't know anything right now. All he wanted to do was fall into a black oblivion and stay there for a while, but his mind wouldn't let him. He was finally shaken from his thoughts by a quiet knock to his door.

Blinking, he wondered if it was Temari again, before he turned and walked back inside and went to the door. He opened it, and his eyes widened at the sight of Sasuke standing there, trembling. What made it even more shocking was the blood that was trailing down the other's face from their eyes where their Sharingan was awake and had changed.

"Sasuke--"

He didn't get a good look at it because without speaking or anything else, the other stepped closer and practically fell into him, face burying into the crook of his neck and a muffled sob accompanied it.

Dazed, he stepped back, closing the door behind the other and put his arms awkwardly around the smaller frame of the Uchiha. Their hands clutched at him in a tight grip, and another sob heaved itself from their lungs, before another, and another, to become a continuous string. The shadow user wasn't entirely sure how to take this, but the fact the other was here with him instead of suffering alone in silence meant something. Without warning, he scooped the smaller up--not even receiving a word of protest--and carried them over to the bed and sat down on it with the other settling into his lap.

"Th-the...Mangekyou... A-aniki... I... He..." The words were broken and came in between gasps for air and sobs, but the brunette got the picture. So Itachi did give him the Mangekyou... He'd been both afraid of, but hoping for it. Because it meant Sasuke accepted the information, but at the same time it meant he would gradually descend into darkness.

They sat like that for a while, Shikamaru didn't care to try and think of how long it was, and Sasuke was too disoriented to care. He'd been saying broken words and sentences, just mumbling things against his shoulder in between his crying. At one point, the sharingan user let out a long wail, that he was fairly sure could still be heard by others despite it being muffled against his shoulder.

Finally, the others sobs were dying down and quieting to just gasps, but their grip hadn't lessened on him in that entire time. His shirt had to be blood-soaked by now, but he didn't care. Sasuke was more important than his clothes by far. Minutes later, the gasps had lessened to slight hitches, attempting to return to normal, before they slowly pulled their head back.

The blood had mostly been washed away by the tears, and the Sharingan had receded back to his usual onyx eyes. They looked so heavy for lack of a better term. Tired wasn't even the word to say. They were worn and heavy not just physically, but soul-deep. This was something that would take time to lighten. But, if this proved anything, it was a beginning.

"Stay," Shikamaru murmured, not letting the other go when they attempted to get off of his lap. The other looked hesitant and unsure, blinking slowly to clear their vision from the murkiness of tears.

"I..."

"Stay," He insisted again, bringing one hand up to brush away the Uchiha's bangs from his face, before trailing down and clearing away the remnants of blood on his cheek in one slow, gentle gesture.

The other looked away, worrying on their lip silently, trembling again, but for another reason.

Slowly coaxing the smaller to relax against him again, he was satisfied with just holding the other against him, resting his head ontop of theirs. Again, time seemed to slip by, before Shikamaru was aware of it, it was well into the night, with the sounds of the desert echoing back at him. Sasuke was silent the entire time, trying to find a way to speak the things he wanted to say.

Since that day in the field so long ago... The words he said... He wanted to say that he'd never meant them. And that last sentiment he promised himself he would ever have for anyone... Now that he was here, leaning against the other again, he was reminded of the summer days he used to spend out on the hills with Shikamaru. If he tried, he could remember the way the breeze felt, the feel of the grass and the comfort he'd felt.

He felt so foolish now for letting such a thing go.

"I told myself that day...in the field... That I would never want something like that again... But, I... I was lying. I want... I want..."

Shikamaru's eyes dilated a little with the words the other was saying, he too, thought of that day often enough that he could feel it even in his dreams. That day had been the best and worst day of his entire existence--he wouldn't say life, as he at the time, had ever truly 'lived'. The words the Uchiha spat at him hurt like a hot iron branding on his soul, and that first and last--

"I...never meant what I said. I was..." Scared, he wanted to say, but the word died in his throat and no matter how much he tried, he couldn't force it out.

The brunette finally worked up the courage to confront it all. "That day... After all those words, when you kissed me... You were saying goodbye, weren't you?"

The others body tensed against him and he knew the answer.

"I told myself... That it would be the last sentiment I felt for anyone. If I got my feelings out of the way, I could focus on my revenge... Do you think I'm foolish for it?"

"Yes," Shikamaru answered softly. "And no. I think you were foolish for being so selfish, but no, I think I would have done the same thing, so I can't blame you."

If anything, it made the sable-haired teen feel even more ashamed. He went to move away again, but the shadow nin's hold on him didn't loosen.

"Stay. Stay with me. I don't want to let you go... If I did, it would feel like I were letting you slip away again. I can't handle that at this point... I can't lose another person I love."

Those words, for some reason, hurt him. As much as he wanted to be loved, he wasn't sure he could stay. To stay... He was afraid to. He was afraid to stay, because to stay would make him marked. Marked in a way he never had been, and that scared him.

"I'll fall," He whispered. He didn't know if it was a warning or a prelude. "If I stay, I'll fall."

"Then I won't let you go," They replied. "You can't fall if I don't let go."

There wasn't a reply. Shikamaru stared at the other, their head was bowed and they were trembling again. He brought his hand up and let his fingers trace along the slope of their cheek, before gently guiding their head up to look at him.

"Stay. Just for the night?"

They looked back at him, and he felt himself drowning once again in their glossy, onyx depths. He could see, and feel everything the other was thinking and in some way, he could understand the fear they had.

"...Don't let me go." Came the response, quiet as the words were.

For the first time in a while, the brunette smiled for real.

"I promise."

Nodding weakly, the Uchiha moved a little, the shadow-wielder loosening his hold enough to let him. Together, in an awkward twist, they managed to lie down on the bed. It was mid summer, so blankets weren't needed. Sasuke bit his lip silently as he shifted and curled into the taller male, hiding his face in their shoulder. Shikamaru sighed heavily, a little uncomfortable, but he could deal with it. It wasn't perfect, far from it, but it was better than he had hoped for.

It was a few hours before either relaxed enough to even think about sleeping, not that either would admit it. And truth be told, Sasuke was the first to drift off, still physically tired, and the emotional strain was enough to pull him into a blank oblivion.

It took Shikamaru a while longer to sleep, but eventually, his eyes slid closed and it was hardly a breath or two later before he was out. But, truth be known, he didn't let go of the other once throughout the course of the night.

**TBC**

* * *

**DHC: **I know what you're thinking: 'What is 'that day' they're talking about?' Well, I'll try my best to summarize it: The day they're talking about is the day before Sasuke leaves for Orochimaru. They got into this large argument and Sasuke said some things to Shikamaru that were rather cold and cruel. To seal it off, he kissed him, and then left. The next day, he left for Orochimaru. Yes, they were rather close before he left. They used to share a space on this one hill and it progressed from there. Maybe one day I'll write that scene out, but I'm lazy so I can't promise. Maybe with enough motivation I would. But until then, enjoy this chapter, people. It's probably the longest one you'll ever get from me. xDDD


	4. Chapter 4

**Title:** Not This Time.  
**Series:** Naruto: Shippuuden.  
**Rating:** R(M)  
**Genres:** Action-Adventure, Angst, Drama, Romance, Family-Friendship, uhh...I dunno?  
**Warnings:** Swearing, violence (when is this new?), sexual-themes? The author creating a weird love triangle? Uh...the author throwing the canon to the wind...? Yeah...

**DHC:** I really don't know how to sum up this chapter other than it's a mixture of both comedic relief and a little more angst. Special appearance made by Gaara, yey!

* * *

It was three days later since that night that Sasuke finally managed to come to some sense of bearings--at least enough to drag himself out of Shikamaru's room and get out into the town. Cloaked in a henge, he wandered down the streets, looking around the familiar scene with as much nostalgia as there was envy. He wouldn't admit it, not to anyone, he could hardly admit it to himself--he missed Konoha. It was his home. Where he was born, where he'd lived. Where many of his memories occurred. At the same time though, he hated it. Hated it with such a passion that sometimes, it even frightened him.

The murderous feelings he felt when he thought about Konoha some days frightened him to the core. Although hate and anger made up a large part of the Uchiha, even he understood his limitations, and the hate he felt towards Konoha went farther than he could comprehend, and that's what scared him. Suna was but a reminder of his home, and the life he'd lived in Konoha, and that in itself brought unwanted feelings to the surface.

Clearing his head of the thoughts and pushing the feelings aside, he made his way towards the outskirts. He'd been inactive long enough. He had to re-center himself. Making his way out a good mile or two away he released the henge. He sighed heavily and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. Once he was in a lucid state of mind, he began to train.

His body fell into a stance he'd long since memorized, and it was hardly a breath before he moved and like lightning, swift and heavy, his limbs moved; a punch here, a jab there, a kick. One couldn't tell it unless they knew he was out of practice that he hadn't been training in a while. He flowed like quicksilver, fluid and graceful, but he realized he wasn't at his best. His speed, although above the normal, was not in the range he was used to, His reaction time was slower, and some of the moves he used felt awkward again.

Not wasting another second, his dextrous fingers flexed, pulling three kunai out and launching them out into the open space. In a blurr of speed, his body dashed forward, twisting into a series of flips and turns before he took out two more kunai, one for each hand and in a whirlwind, spun, slashed, uppercut, and stabbed and at the last second, threw them with all of his strength, thus countering and striking the still-arcing kunai he'd thrown out of the air where all five landed haphazardly into the sand.

Reaching back, his fingers curled around the hilt of his katana. He drew it and took another stance, holding the blade up in his usual way, he noticed how much heavier it felt now, with not having used it in a while. The way it fit in his hand felt a little foreign. He pushed the small details aside and started to practice again. He slashed through the air vertically in a high arc, before sidestepping to the left and turning it into a horizontal slash when it met the center of the swing.

The blade glittered as he moved, the sun reflecting off it, blinding and cruel to anyone who would have looked upon it--like a striking viper, it hits and that's all one knew. This continued for a good half-hour before the Uchiha stopped. He made a few seals as he unrolled a scroll, reaching into and taking out a bottle of water. He took the cap off and took a long drink of it before recapped it, sealed, rolled the scroll back up before he collected his kunai, and started to make a retreat to find some shade.

Although it was scarce and barely anything, it wasn't too far away that he found a small haven. Desert shrubs and trees. It wasn't the lush kind he was used to from Konoha, but it worked. He slid down against one of the trees, with his back to the sun, effectively keeping the majority of his body out of the scalding rays.

It was getting towards midday and soon, mid afternoon. It was the deadliest to any traveler unprepared. Even so, Sasuke wasn't foolish enough to push himself in this kind of heat. Suna summers were the worst kind, and while Sasuke did make the preperations for this, he wasn't going to take his chances; if he collapsed out here, he'd possibly be dead by the time anyone found him.

As it was, sweat trickled heavily down the back of his neck, making him grimace. After a moments debate, he sat forward just a little and shed his top and the purple bow tying the loose material around his waist to leave him in just his training pants and sandals. Leaning back again, he stared up towards the sky. He would wait until it started to cool down again before he went back to training. Taking the bottle of water again, he uncapped it and took a small sip.

----

He'd been sitting there for a good three hours, maybe, Sasuke couldn't tell any more. He'd been forced to move around with the sun to avoid being in direct contact, but even then, his skin had taken on a reddened hue, signaling a sunburn. Uchiha's didn't tan unfortunately, he'd learned this the first time he'd ever come to Suna those many years ago. He'd come back as red as a lobster and spent the next two weeks in absolute pain. It had hurt to move, be touched, his clothes didn't fit right and nothing seemed to cool his skin down.

He tried to shake himself from the memories but it didn't seem to help. Perhaps the heat _had_ gotten to him, after all.

"My soul corrupted by vengance, hath endured torment to find the end of the journey in my own salvation, and your eternal slumber..." He muttered quietly to himself, frowning as his heart seemed to weigh that much heavier at the thought. Just one more mistake he'd made.

"Loveless," Came a voice to the left of him.

Snapping his head over, his eyes landed on the person who'd interruped his musing.

Gaara stood there with his arms crossed, face devoid of any thought or emotion. The sun and sand around him didn't seem to phase or effect him. _'Of course not,' _Sasuke chided himself wryly. _'He's too accustomed to it.'_

"I didn't think you were the type to know such art, Uchiha." The redheaded Kazekage droned quietly.

Sasuke snorted, the slightest of smirks quirking at his lips. "I didn't think you were, either."

"Loveless is a very popular literature here in Suna," Gaara said flatly as he moved closer, giving a one-shouldered shrug. "Almost everyone here has read it. It just takes someone with a deeper talent to understand the beauty of it."

Sasuke's brow rose and he snorted before he looked away, another frown coming to his face. "...Itachi used to say the same thing. He used to read it to me, that's how I know it. I never understood what he meant by it... I think it's a little clearer now. At a price," He mumbled.

Gaara said nothing for a long moment, merely reguarding the Uchiha from where he was sitting. It didn't take a fool to see how worn the other was, and perhaps he could relate in some way. It didn't mean, however, he was going to sympathize or feel sorry for the other teenager. Instead, he turned and looked out over the desert.

"My friend, the fates are cruel. There are no dreams, no honor remains. The arrow has left the bow of the goddess." He finally quoted, turning his head to look back at the other.

"Heh... The fifth act is still missing," Sasuke murmured back.

Gaara nodded. "There are many speculations of it, however. Some say it ends in tragedy, while others go on to say the opposite. I, however, find it is unnecessary to know it. I believe only in the end of our own journey, we find out what it truly is."

"My brother always had his thoughts on it. He believed his theory was right. He never told me what it was, though. He always said that I wouldn't understand... It's kind of funny when you look back on things like that when things are said and done. Now, I can never ask him. I was too wrapped up in hate and power to care." The Uchiha said quietly as he looked up towards the sky.

"Perhaps that was how he meant for it to be," The Kazekage replied. "For you to wonder and figure it out on your own."

"You speak as if you knew him," Sasuke observed as he looked over at the redhead. The response he got was a snort.

It was quiet between them for several minutes.

"I knew at least a part of him," Gaara finally said.

The dark haired teen's brows shot up, surprise a-light in them. "What?"

"But that was a long time ago. He was sent to kill me,"

The sound the other made was amusing to the redhead and they turned completely to look down at him, arms uncrossing.

"They all wanted me dead, because I was a monster. Itachi was sent to kill me, being one of the best. He failed, obviously..."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed, head tilting. There was more, he could sense it, but the redhead's lips tightened and he knew he wasn't going to get anything out of the other teen. It was a good twenty minutes they'd lapsed into silence before Gaara finally moved, taking several steps away from where he'd been standing towards the direction of the village. "I'm leaving. I've business to do."

"You mean paperwork," Sasuke mumbled dryly. He only got a snort in return.

Without another word, the redheaded teenager walked off, disappearing after several long moments because the Uchiha could no longer make out his sillhouette against the scorching sand. He winced as he shifted, looking down. He'd definitely sunburned. Oh, well.

He waited until it had finally started to become evening and cool down that he finished up his training, although it took him longer than he'd intended due to his new circumstances. (His shoulders did _not_ like to scrunch back like that when he swung his katana.) And he'd finally called it a day when the sun finally disappeared below the horizon. He packed up his things in a scroll and put his shirt and--he wouldn't ever call it such--_skirt_ back on, before heading back to the village.

Just before he made it to said town, he got an idea.

Not a very good one, perhaps the sun and heat really _had_ effected him today, but an idea nonetheless.

With a grin, he formed the necessary seals for his henge and proceeded to enter the town. The exotic sites and smells of Suna's evening life greeted him and his stomach growled. After an internal debate, he made his way out towards the steamed shops, the smells of the seamed rice, yakitori, and the like were too alluring. After having got himself plenty of it (he'd not eaten since breakfast that morning) he began walking back to the inn. On the way, he stopped at a fresh fruit and vegetable stand and couldn't resist buying several ripe, juicy looking tomatoes that had his mouth watering.

Gleeful, and appeased, he finally reached his destination.

With a roll of his eyes, he'd come to find the door to Shikamaru's room locked. He managed to shift everything into one arm in order to knock before he glared at the door.

Shikamaru grumbled as an insistant knocking came from the door. "Troublesome..." He muttered as he sat up from the bed he'd been lying on and went over to it. Figuring it was Sasuke, he opened it without much ceremony.

He stared.

Standing outside of his door was a tall, slender, but curvy-framed woman with long inky hair that went down in two wraps, dressed in a barely there white yukata with the hint of mesh under it, carrying a couple sacks in her arms. His jaw dropped. Really, it was all he could do to not fall back in a fainted heap from bloodloss.

Amusement gleamed in the girl's eyes before they all but shoved past him and made their way into the room without a word.

"What the..." He finally managed to say as he turned, letting the door shut once he'd let go of the handle.

"I see you like my henge." The girl replied, voice light and amused sounding, but was borderline flat-toned.

"...Sasuke???"

"Who else, dumbass. Don't tell me, you were waiting on a call girl or something." The figure, now deemed as Sasuke mocked before, in an unceremonious poof, reappeared as normal.

"No, but I really wasn't expecting you to come waltzing back here in..._that_." Shikamaru finally replied, pushing the blush that had been on his face down back to his usual neutral expression.

"Hn." Was the only reply he got from the Uchiha. Bastard.

Sasuke finished setting all of the food he'd bought down on the small table in the room and went about dishing it out for himself. "I brought extra, just in case." He added on, as if remembering so. "The tomatoes, however, are _mine_ and you will _die_ if you touch them."

Shikamaru's brow quirked high. He'd forgotten that one detail about the other male. Briefly, a memory came to mind about how he nearly stabbed through Chouji's hand with a kunai when he'd tried to take the last tomato slice at one of the group-picnics sponsored by the number one ramen lover, Naruto. It just went to show: never get between Sasuke and a tomato. The end.

"Wouldn't dream of it," He finally replied as he made his way over to the table. "I don't have a death wish just yet. Too troublesome."

The Uchiha rolled their eyes as they sat down in a chair and began to eat. Maybe some of Naruto had rubbed off on him, or he was just really hungry because he'd thrown the majority of manners out the window and was eating with fervor. Though he had some restraint, he wasn't scarfing it down like said boisterous blonde did.

"I didn't think you'd ever use oiroke no jutsu." The other's voice still sounded slightly stunned as he took a bite of his yakitori.

"At least I didn't waltz in here naked, like the dobe would've." Came the amused response.

The sudden mental image of said form naked made the taller teen blush again before he snorted. "Yes, heaven forbid Uchiha, Sasuke lower himself to nancing around naked no matter what form he's in." He rolled his eyes.

"Tch. You'd probably like that, wouldn't you," The other shot back with a smirk, forcing the other to take a bite of his yakitori again and mumble something along the lines of 'shut up, troublesome bastard' around it, ducking his head down in a failed attempt to hide the heavier blush that made its way onto his face.

They ate the majority of their food in relative silence after that. Once Sasuke was finished with his food, his eyes gleamed as they laid upon the ripe, red fruit (because he, unlike the majority of the people he knew believed tomatoes were a fruit rather than a vegetable. Because, how on earth could a _vegetable_ taste so _wonderful?_ It couldn't! It was a sin! What tomatoes were to him were what strawberries to most people--a delicacy and should be enjoyed thoroughly.

He reached for one, carefully taking out a kunai--while impractical, it was one of the ones he used for ocasions such as this and not for combat--and slowly sliced the skin off the top before slowly and in a careful way, cut the plant into several wedges.

Shikamaru watched the other the whole time with a raised brow, vaguely amused at how the Uchiha acted as if the food were something holy or sacred. Then again, the look of sheer simplistic joy that danced in the teen's eyes made up for the oddness of his actions. He was leaning on one elbow, chin resting on his knuckles, head tilted to the side slightly.

He nearly fell out of his chair ar the near eroticesque-like moan the male made when he took a bite. As it was, his hand slipped from under his chin and he nearly faceplanted into the table, a heavy blush rising up to his face.

Sasuke was oblivious to the other watching him and took a bite of one of the wedges, eyes closing, expression morphing into one similar to 'n_n' as he chewed slowly and savored the succulent flavor of the fruit. He was in Shangri-La. He moaned happily. Yes, let it be known he did make happy noises when he ate tomatoes when he was either by himself or comfortable with the people around him. (Which rather amused the hell out of Kakashi and Naruto when they found out this particular detail.)

The Nara teen thought he was going to die from either bloodloss or lightheadedness by the time the other finished eating their tomato. He'd finally resigned to letting his head rest on the table to both hide his accumulating blush as well as try and block out some of the sounds.

"You know, if I didn't know better, I'd say you were getting off on those." He muttered darkly.

Letting out a quiet chuckle, the smaller teen stood up from his chair, a small smirk rising to his face.

"Who says I wasn't? It was rather arousing," He teased quietly, flicking his bangs out of his face as he turned and began to put the leftovers away.

"You ass," Shikamaru snorted, finally lifting his head from the table, the barest traces of the blush remaining.

"Che." Was the only reply he got.

Once finished cleaning up, Sasuke moved away from the table, and slowly untied the rope around his waist and tossed it into the small pile of what belongings he had on him before the fabric it was holding accompanied it. Whatever tentativeness he'd had the past few days wore off and he didn't care anymore. He was never one for being real modest anyway. But those days had been an exception--he'd reverted into himself and everything felt so different, new; as if he were a child again, re-learning the things he'd once known.

"What, _now_ who's the call girl?" Shikamaru shot back after a long bout of silence, finding an opportunity to do so.

There was a pause to Sasuke's movements and for a moment, the shadow user was unsure if he'd gone too far or not.

"You owe me 10,000 ryo, then." Finally came the teasing, but sarcastic reply as the Sharingan user slowly slipped off his yukata to accentuate his words.

The taller's eyes widened. "Fuck,"

He snorted. "That would be another 50,000."

"That's one hell of a sunburn. What the hell did you do to yourself?"

"Absolutely nothing but hide behind a shrub all day, actually. Uchiha's burn easily. That's why my family tended to dress in long sleeves and pants and the like. The first time I came here to Suna as a Genin I burned so bad I got heatstroke and the burn didn't leave for two weeks."

Shikamaru's eyes widened. "Holy shit,"

"Tch. This is nothing. Just a little irritating."

"A _little_?"

"I've...endured worse." Came the quiet reply as the Uchiha's hand went up automatically to touch the place the Cursed mark once resided.

The other immediately regretted what he'd said.

"I'm tired still," Sasuke spoke quietly, sounding different; like he had the night he'd all but barged into the room.

"Let's rest, then." Came the reply without missing a beat. Shikamaru stood up and stretched. He shed his shirt but kept his mesh on. It was comfortable and cool enough and not nearly as itchy.

"Will you be alright, sleeping with that sunburn?" He asked after a long moment.

"As long as you don't move, I will." Sasuke's voice was quieter still.

Knowing he was losing the other, perhaps not physically, but mentally, he sighed and nodded. He made his way over to the bed and laid on it and waited for the other to finish taking off whatever else the other wanted to shed. He tried not to think about everything again. It seemed like he was dreaming still, like things should be different.

As if he'd be waking up to Ino kicking him and yelling at him that it was time for training like when they were Genin. He sighed heavily, closing his eyes. He was brought back from his reverie by the weight on the bed followed by heat, and then pressure against his side as he felt the other slowly curl into him, lying his head on his shoulder. He frowned at the small tremors he felt coming from the other, and silently cursed his lack of being able to do anything for him.

"Sasuke..." He finally said in a weak voice as he lifted his arm at the elbow and curled his wrist, hesitantly letting his fingers touch the teen's hair. Sasuke stilled, head lifting a small fraction, miniscule fear flickered in his onyx eyes before they closed and he let his head rest back down.

The action was enough permission for him to run his fingers through their hair. His fingers meticulously ran slowly through his hair, fingertips gently massaging his scalp as he went and slowly, he felt the tension drain from the smaller male and it wasn't much longer before their breathing leveled out as well.

He continued to run his fingers through their hair. The locks were not as soft as he expected them to be, but then, the other hadn't washed them in a day so he couldn't say how it would feel then. He bit his lip as his mind tried to compare the feel of Sasuke's hair to Itachi's--or how familiar the closeness was.

He didn't feel guilty--he wasn't really sure how he felt, but he didn't want to insult either Uchiha by comparing the differences. It wasn't right. Although the elder probably would've just snorted at him for his 'foolishness' over his train of thought.

Needless to say, sleep didn't come easy for Shikamaru that night.

**TBC

* * *

DHC:** Ta-daaaaaa!! Bet you people weren't expecting _that_ were you? xDD I hope you all enoyed it! Oh yeah, the 'Loveless' thing comes from Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7. It's a good game, I recommend it! The poem is epic, too! Look it up sometime. =D


	5. Chapter 5

**Title:** Not This Time.  
**Series:** Naruto: Shippuuden.  
**Rating:** R(M)  
**Genres:** Action-Adventure, Angst, Drama, Romance, Family-Friendship, uhh...I dunno?  
**Warnings:** Swearing, violence (when is this new?), sexual-themes? The author creating a weird love triangle? Uh...the author throwing the canon to the wind...? Yeah...

**DHC:** And so, I bring you a mostly flashback chapter. Woo! More Itachi! Yay! xD

* * *

_"...Shikamaru."_

_The Chuunin's head snapped over towards the sound and he blinked wildly a couple of times. "Huh?"_

_"Heh..." The nukenin's eyes flickered with specks of amusement at the others lack of attention._

_"Sorry, I got carried away looking at the clouds." He muttered, an embarrassed blush marring his tanned cheeks._

_"Hm," Was the only response he got from the Akatsuki member._

_"I'd make a comment on your lack of response, but I don't think I want to be pulled into your genjutsus," The other finally joked softly as he stood up and stretched, rubbing his eyes in an attempt to refocus them after having stared so long at the sky._

_"I save the genjutsus for the fools who annoy me. You're no fool."_

_"Should I feel honored about that? It's kind of hard to tell with you, you know. It's not everyday someone can just come up to you and talk and all. Troublesome."_

_Once again, amusement gleamed in the older male's eyes before he gave a slight shrug, catching the other off guard at how...well, _human_ they seemed with such a simple action. They took him off guard when the other did that. He was coming to find such little nuances the other had like that so familiar and it wasn't any wonder where Sasuke got them from._

_He averted his eyes, sighing heavily at where his thoughts were trailing._

_"You're thinking about my otouto."_

_He jerked, eyes widening slightly before they looked over at him._

_"How the hell can you tell?"_

_"It's written all over your stance and in your eyes. You can't hide anything from me."_

_"It's just... The way you two act are so similar," He replied, voice quiet._

_"That's to be expected. He did, after all, model himself after me. I only regret that I couldn't continue to be his guiding light, but rather now I'm his bloodied nightmare."_

_"I would say it's not your fault, but that would be lying."_

_"Indeed... But what's done is done. It was the only option I could see and so I took it."_

_"Isn't that what we all do at times? For me, I could have taken the other path, but I chose not to. There are times still, where I know I can go back, but I don't want to. You could--"_

_"He would never forgive me. One, he has hated me for so long it's completely rooted inside of him and he would never let the reasoning sink in. Two, even if he did forgive me, he would never trust me again because I betrayed all trust he had in me as a sibling and that is more painful than dying._

_"The thought of him never trusting me again is something I could never bare to live with. Even now, he trusts me. Perhaps in a twisted, different way than most would think, but he does. That is comforting enough. To take that away, is to take away the meaning of my existence."_

_Shikamaru stared long and hard at the other, mouth open slightly. He had not expected to hear the raw sincerity of Itachi's affection towards Sasuke, nor had he ever really given thought to those reasoning. He could understand, a little. He didn't have a sibling, he could never imagine being one, either._

_"That's so twisted, it actually makes sense..." He finally said as he flopped backwards from where he was sitting on the ground._

_"Doesn't it, though? Sasuke is everything to me, and I've done everything with him in mind. Yet he is so foolish. My mistake was made, but as long as I can still--in some form or another--guide him toward a brighter path, then let that path be sealed in my blood if it must. If that is what it will take for redemption in his eyes."_

_Itachi's eyes lowered, and Shikamaru could see how heavy the emotions weighed on him, the way his expression was weak, although blank, it was so worn, hiding the majority of his saddness and guilt. After a moment, the look was gone, replaced by their usual stoic expression as they turned away._

_"Come, your must finish training to learn the jutsu."_

_With a heavy groan, the Nara heir pushed himself up. "Yeah, yeah... Troublesome Uchiha's."_

_"Hn."_

_-------_

_Shikamaru collapsed to his knees and fell face first down onto the bedroll, letting out a groan._

_"Goddammit, you Uchiha's are slave drivers." He mumbled muffledly._

_Itachi leaned against the tree nearby, a delicate brow raising._

_"Iie. If I were a slave driver, I'd've done what my _father_ did and trained you for twenty hours on end on the same thing until you had the jutsu absolutely _perfect_."_

_A shudder ran down the chuunin's spine at the Uchiha's dark tone of voice, the venom that dripped acidically from beneath the flat baritone._

_"There's something called 'moral ethics' I think your family forgot to learn. How troublesome." He managed to say as he pushed himself back up and stretched with a wince, his tired and aching muscles protesting. He flexed and channeled a small bit of chakra to his system, but it didn't allieviate much since his chakra network was stretched thin as well._

_"Indeed. But in a way, that was what made our clan so great. But it became their downfall, as well." Itachi pushed away from the tree and turned, slowly shedding his Akatsuki cloak, leaving him in his black shinobi garb and began to walk away._

_"Come, a bath in the stream will do your muscles well. Afterwards you may rest."_

_"That had better be a promise," The shadow-wielder mumbled as he staggered once he stood and managed to stumble after the other, shedding the majority of what excess clothes he had._

_He nearly moaned once his over-heated and tired body sank into the cool river in nothing but his boxers, which didn't really matter anyway as they were non constricting enough. His body immediately thanked him for the welcome relief._

_"Stretch and move about the water slowly, going through some taijutsu motions. It will take away the fatigue in your back and arms."_

_Shikamaru's head turned and a brow rose as he watched the Uchiha slowly decend into the water until he was neck-deep. His eyes wavered and slowly caught sight of the long black tail whisping around in the water, splaying out from its usual place on the older shinobi's shoulder._

_"How do you know so many things like this?" He finally questioned as he snapped his attention away from the hypnotic rhythm the long locks created as he took the tie from his hair and wound it around his wrist before slowly doing what the Sharingan master suggested._

_"I studied plenty of normal remedies for the body besides medical jutsu and the like. I know acupuncture and plenty of other useful relievers for the common fatigue shinobi go through. I also figured plenty of it out from experience." Itachi slowly replied as he let his body relax and just whirl and move about with the current, but kept aware enough to not go too far._

_"I guess that's why they call you a prodigy. Heh, and people tend to liken me to one. It seems kind of mediocre to do so." Shikamaru said as he stretched about and then let himself relax back and float, frowning as his hair went wild from the water and splayed around everywhere and some stuck to his skin, making him feel itchy._

_"There are standards humans like to set and when people rise above said standard, what else can they do but call that person 'gifted'? Thus, they label people who are above the standard geniuses, prodigies. It is never necessarily the same standard that people rise above. You were gifted with the knowledge of tacticianry, the ability to see, think, and come up with many as many strategies as there are jutsus nearly. It is a very coveted gift._

_"Even I, labeled as a genius, am not so gifted in such. All the strategies I learned and came up with, all the abilties... They never came naturally. They were forced or copied. I was never a true prodigy. I could take in the information and store it, recall it when I wanted, and because I could and excelled so fast, so young, I was called a prodigy."_

_Itachi's eyes had narrowed and had unknowingly bled to the Sharingan, the tomoes spinning wildly with contained fury._

_"That's why I never saw any reason in trying. I didn't want to be called a genius, a prodigy. So I didn't care, I still don't in some way, but..." Shikamaru's eyes rolled upwards to glance at the sky before he turned his head to look over at the other._

_"There's always a reason for something, and maybe, just maybe there's more reason to my stupidity in chasing after Sasuke than just for the sake of my sanity."_

_The elder Uchiha regarded the Nara heir silently for a long while, eyes calming back down to their glossed onyx colour, lidded._

_"...Perhaps so." He finally replied. "You're very wise at times."_

_"I don't think it's so much that I'm wise as it is that I think too much and try to think everything through in a way that makes sense. I mean, people say 'that doesn't make sense' when someone does something they don't understand, but to the person, if they understand it, then there's sense." Came the quiet reply_

_"Just because I __ don't understand what I'm doing entirely, doesn't mean there's not a reason for why I do so, and maybe when I come to the end of the reason,it will finally make some sense." He continued, righting himself upwards in the water again to look directly at the older male and shrugged._

_"That is a very perceptive and wise response, despite what you may think. Reason and sense do not always belong together but when one is found, the other follows." Itachi turned and slowly swam back towards the bank._

_"It's going to be sunset, we should head back."_

_Shikamaru nodded silently and followed after. It wasn't much of a long trek but by the time they made it back, they were mostly dry._

_"I'm actually surprised I feel as refreshed as I do." The chuunin muttered as he wrung the last drops of water from his hair, but left it down to let the moisture completely dry out of it._

_"As much as they say warm water relaxes the muscles, that is only true to a point. Warm water releases the toxins and tension from the body and only temporarily removes the fatigue. If one applies the knowledge of hot water therapy to cool water, and changes it accordingly enough, the same effect can be increased for a much longer duration and sometimes completely removes fatigue."_

_Itachi's left hand slowly rose up behind his head and undid the tie holding his hair back. In mere seconds, long ebon silk tumbled free, only to be swept over his shoulder with his right hand before carefully pressing and squeezing the water out._

_The other watched in fascination. His fingers twitched. He had half a mind to ask if he could touch his hair, but the other half held him back. He wasn't going to invade the others personal space like that. He sighed and yawned, feeling drained and relaxed._

_"Tonight will be chill, even for summer. It would be wise if we took precautions." Itachi cautioned as he looked up towards the sky._

_Shikamaru knew better than to doubt the others judgment by now. He only nodded in response and set about to fixing his bedroll and taking out what extra blankets he had._

_Thirty minutes later the sun had completely sank down, and the pink hues were nearly replaced with dark blue. The tempature was dropping quite rapidly as well. Though there was a fire, it didn't seem nearly warm enough. Shikamaru shivered a little._

_"If you are cold, you may move your bed beside mine; the conjoined space should be enough to keep you warm."_

_Translation: It's okay if you sleep next to me. In Uchiha-speak. Shikamaru nearly snorted, but didn't complain. It was getting colder, and he really didn't need to get sick._

_He moved sluggishly for a few moments as he slid out from under what warmth his blankets did provide before he nearly scrambled and tripped over himself to move his makeshift bed over beside the older Uchiha._

_"Fuck," he cursed, teeth chattering. Amused onyx eyes watched him the whole while, before he let out a quiet chuckle._

_"How are you not cold??" Came the halfway jealous response as he slid back underneath his blankets with another shiver._

_"I'm not nearly as worn out as you are, and I'm more seasoned to this type of weather." Was Itachi's simple reply._

_Well, damn. He couldn't argue with that. It was true._

_"I also continuously channel chakra through my system and that keeps my body tempature raised."_

_"I didn't know you could do that..."_

_"With enough practice, you can learn to subconsciously keep channeling a small amount throughout your system at all times."_

_"Will you teach me?"_

_"If you can learn everything else in a timely manner, yes."_

_A small smile came to the Chuunin's face before he nodded. "I will."_

_"Very well, then. Sleep now, we'll discuss more of this in the morning."_

_Nodding with a yawn, Shikamaru didn't need to be told twice. Sinking farther down into the blankets, with another shiver, his eyes dropped closed and he fell asleep relatively quickly due to the increasing warmth from the proximity of being so close to Itachi._

_-------_

_Itachi was startled awake by the feel of someone's hand threading into his hair. Flinging his eyes open, sharingan activated, he momentarily panicked at the thought that he'd dropped his guard and let an enemy come close. He exhaled slowly and his eyes slowly dyed down when he realized that he hadn't let an intruder come close, but it was Shikamaru. He'd become so used to the Nara's presence he didn't notice him moving. The other was practically in his bedroll with him, hand snaked into his hair and petting lightly._

_He could tell the other was asleep by their breathing, so he relaxed a little and closed his eyes again. He was vaguely amused by the others actions and didn't seem to really mind the intrusion of his personal space. He'd half-way somewhat expected it. Everyone gravitated towards wamrth when they were chill, and people needed people, whether they wanted to admit to so or not, humans were social creatures, so it was their nature to seek out another, even in sleep._

_Itachi slipped back off into a slumber, unaware that Shikamaru was infact, awake, but had rather kept his breathing even and stayed still enough to feign that he was asleep. He did feel a little bad for the deception, but he didn't want to come right out and ask if he could touch the other's hair. So, he came up with another way. It was soft and well-cared for. He idly wondered how Itachi could keep himself in such well-care when he lived in such harsh conditions. Satisfied and content, Shikamaru did let himself slip off into a full slumber_

_------_

_"Well, well. Looks as if you've finally gotten a bed partner, Itachi." A smug voice pierced through the veil of sleep that Shikamaru had been in. Beside him, he heard a soft snort from Itachi._

_"And it's a Shinobi of the leaf, to boot. Should I be concerned about your sanity?"_

_"Mendoukusai... Would you be kind enough to shut the hell up? I'm tired, cold, and your voice is annoying." He mumbled aggrivatedly._

_"Oh-ho, he's awake."_

_With a sigh, Shikamaru cracked an eye open and saw a sight he rather wouldn't have._

_A large, blue-skinned man wearing a slashed-out kiri headband was standing at the edge of their bedroll and had a shark-like grin on his face._

_Itachi sighed, but moved and made to get up. Knowing that he wasn't going to get back to sleep, he made to get up as well._

_"Dare I ask to know the details of why he's here?" The figure asked Itachi._

_"He's here because I wish him to be, you need no other reason than that." Was the Uchiha's cold response._

_"Ooh, cold today."_

_"Kisame," Itachi spoke. His voice held a tinge to it that Shikamaru knew was a telltale warning sign._

_Apparently the figure, Kisame, was smart enough to hear it, too, for they shut up._

_Shikamaru mumbled unintelligable things as he finished putting the rest of his clothes on, yawning halfway through. He pulled his hair back up into his usual ponytail and sat down, bleary-eyed and sore._

_As if sensing it, Itachi handed the male a cup of hot tea as if by magic._

_"Mm....thankyoulifesaver." They muttered through a large yawn and took the cup gratefully and took a long sip, letting the warm liquid relieve some of the stress in his body._

_Kisame was silent for a long while before he finally did break it by pretty much interrogating the teen._

_"Nara, Shikamaru," He mumbled once asked his name._

_"Ran away," Once asked why he's out here._

_"Saved me," When asked why he was here with Itachi._

_"Short answers, eh?"_

_"Mendoukusai." The Nara heir took another sip of his tea, staring tiredly at the large man._

_"Can I test him out, Itachi?" Kisame asked the Sharingan master._

_"Hn." Was the only response he got._

_Without warning, a large sword came barreling towards Shikamaru. Split second reflexes let him dodge it easily, tea still in his hands, undisturbed._

_Shikamaru sighed heavily. Well, it did give him a chance to put some of his new skills to use._

_Kisame lunged for him again in a series of slashes and jabs. "Dance of Death!"_

_Shikamaru silently thanked his dexterity as he was able to nimbly dodge each strike. He ducked beneath the last swing and placed one hand on the ground to brace him as he swept his leg around and knocked the tall man off balance. He braced his other hand on the ground as he, with a show of strength, lifted them with his leg and launched them into the air with the other. Flipping, he threw out a barrage of shuriken at their form._

_Upon impact, Kisame exploded in a burst of water._

_"A mizu bunshin, eh..." He mumbled to himself as he recovered and ducked at the last second as the man's sword swung over his head._

_"Gotcha."_

_He spun and slammed his knee into them, before knocking them away with a chakra-enhanced punch._

_"Tch, weak." Kisame insulted as he made ready again and strapped his sword back on his back and started to make handseals. "Water shark jutsu!"_

_Shikamaru didn't stay inactive long, following along with his own handseals. "Katon: Goukkyaku no jutsu!"_

_Once the shark made out of water appeared, he blew the fire at it, effectively turning it to steam._

_A jumped and sunshin'd a small ways away to avoid the steam, because he already knew this man had to have been one of the seven demon swordsmen. He wasn't about to let himself get taken off guard. He crouched behind a bush and waited for an opportunity._

_"Well, better than I expected." Kisame muttered as he looked around after the steam cleared._

_"Hiding, eh? Well, I'll flush ya out!"_

_Shikamaru silently made his way around the bushes until he was behind the other. He made the seal with his hand and silently, his shadow creeped out along the ground._

_Kisame went to pull Samehada off his back again, but he froze; he couldn't move. His eyes widened in slight panic._

_The shadow beneath him opened up and he found himself sinking into it._

_"Sink into my oblivion." Came Shikamaru's voice from everywhere._

_He sank below the ground and the shadow sealed over just as a piercing yell came from the man._

_Kisame's immobile body fell to the ground and Shikamaru slowly stood from his place in the bushes._

_Itachi smirked. "I see you used your new genjutsu."_

_"Yeah, but it was a pain in the ass... Mendoukusai..."_

_Itachi looked amused as he went over and made the 'Kai' seal and broke the genjutsu on Kisame._

_"What the fuck!!" The man cried. His eyes were frenzied and widened with what could've been known as fear._

_"Have fun in my genjutsu?" Shikamaru asked as he got himself another cup of tea._

_"Damn, you're evil."_

_"You deserved it, for making me work."_

_Itachi made an amused sound. "You're still going to train,"_

_A groan was his answer. "I hate you right now."_

_"Wait, you're _training_ him??"_

_"He's going to become my messenger."_

_"That would explain things... Why didn't you tell me from the start?"_

_"Because you woke me up."_

_"You're so evil."_

_"Hn."_

Shikamaru woke up to the sun in his eyes. "Mendoukusai..." He mumbled as he nuzzled into the warmth beside him. He blearily recognized it, but after a few moments, his eyes cracked open and he found himself nuzzling into a still-asleep Sasuke. He sighed. He wanted the sun to go away so he could go back to sleep. He moved to get up.

"Stay," Came Sasuke's sleepy voice.

He froze. He glanced down at the smaller teen.

"I want you to stay with me...like this... I don't want to get up today..."

Well, what could he say to that? He wasn't about to pass up an opportunity to be lazy. Wordlessly, he laid completely back down and curled around the other teen again, letting his eyes shut again. A hand slowly found his and fingers threaded through his, seeking assurance. He squeezed their hand just a little, his only response was a soft sigh as the Uchiha slipped back off into slumber.

Sleeping in actually sounded good... So for once in a long while, Shikamaru let himself drift back off to sleep for a while longer.

**TBC**


	6. Chapter 6

**Title:** Not This Time.  
**Series:** Naruto: Shippuuden.  
**Rating:** R(M)  
**Genres:** Action-Adventure, Angst, Drama, Romance, Family-Friendship, uhh...I dunno?  
**Warnings:** Swearing, violence (when is this new?), sexual-themes? The author creating a weird love triangle? Uh...the author throwing the canon to the wind...? Yeah...

**DHC:** Oh jesus on a pogo-stick! Can it be? An update?! YES! Yes, my dear fans, it is an update. Much awaited, I'm sure, but I finally managed to finish it. I hope you enjoy it. -hearts-

-------------

When Shikamaru woke up, it was well into the late afternoon. Despite all the rest, his lids felt heavy like he could still sleep longer. True to their words, the Uchiha beside him hadn't moved much at all. If anything, he was pressed closer and a little more relaxed than before.

He could tell the other was still asleep by their chakra. He got a small half-grin on his face. He carefully untangled his fingers from Sasuke's and stretched a little, making sure not to wake the other. He rolled carefully so he was fully spooning against the other again. He looked them over. They looked so fragile and delicate looking while they were asleep like this.

Then again, he had always seen the fragile vulnerability in the other's eyes, even when he tried so hard to mask it with anger and hate. It was a type of tainted innocence, he supposed, that he found endearing in the other. Perhaps innocent wasn't completely the word he was looking for, because they were far from being so, but the vulnerability, the shards of himself that he had been still had showed a barely visible form of innocence.

He sighed quietly to himself. He slowly brought his hand up to run idly through the Uchiha's hair, playing with the strands near the nape of his neck. The other reacted, shivering and attempting to tilt their head back to block the other. So they were sensitive, it seemed. That gave Shikamaru an evil idea.

He let his hand fall away, but he lifted his other and placed it on the others hip before slowly spidering his fingers up Sasuke's bare side. Another shiver went through their body as they squirmed a little, making a quiet mewling sound, tossing their head again against the pillow. It made his neck vulnerable and so inviting.

He leaned in, nuzzling against the sensitive side of his neck, receiving another mewl, before he twisted his head a little more and began to slowly nibble along the pale skin, feeling the others pulse spike against his lips, drawing a low moan from the other. Their eyes slowly fluttered, opening before closing again in a semi-conscious state.

"Mmn..."

Shikamaru murmured something unintelligable against the Uchiha's neck, before giving a sharp nip to the skin. Sasuke's gasp was priceless, accompanied by a soft, sultry-like groan.

"You're trying to kill me, aren't you?" Sasuke murmured dazedly, voice thick with sleep and lust.

"Is it working?" Shikamaru replied, smirking faintly, finding a nice spot on their neck to latch his teeth onto, nibbling and worrying on it, leaving a nice, reddened mark there.

"Y-yes," The other mewled, fingers curling against the pillow in a futile attempt to keep his sanity, but knowing it was useless. He'd hardly thought he'd be awoken this way, but...he wasn't complaining. It felt...really good. His glossed-over eyes opened once more, only to slide shut again, submitting to the Nara heir's motions.

The slow touch up his side had him shivering, arching his back. He ignored the stinging from his sunburn, this was far too important than such a thing. He was, after three years, finally allowed a respite, allowed to _feel_, and not have to worry about what the consequences were for such happiness.

He knew already: there was no price to pay, no need to reciprocate, nothing wanted in exchange for the simple touches and caresses Shikamaru littered his skin with. He sighed quietly into the pillow, letting his body go limp in relaxation as he let the other do what he would with him. He rolled when the other prompted him to with a soft tug on his shoulder, letting his head lazily loll to the side as he slowly opened his eyes a crack.

The other gave him a small smile. "You should relax more like this, it makes you look younger."

He snorted softly, raising his hand slowly, his eyes falling shut again as the tips just barely touched Shikamaru's cheek. They lingered there, hesitating; could he dare to return the affection? Would he be able to? He let out a startled gasp when Shikamaru's hand slowly closed around his, bringing his fingers up to his mouth and placed a small kiss on each pad.

Sasuke trembled slightly, biting on his lower lip as small tingles spread from his fingers through his body. Slowly, he rose his other arm and reached out, tracing his fingertips up Shikamaru's neck before they slowly curled around the back, slowly pulling him closer. Shikamaru let Sasuke's hand go as he followed Sasuke's lead and leaned in close. Sasuke slowly opened his eyes to stare up at him. His eyes were vulnerable, specks of fear and insecurity flickered in them, but they held something in them that just screamed at Shikamaru.

His desire to sweep the Uchiha away grew tenfold, and he wanted nothing more than to just shelter and protect him until his heart was completely healed. The raw look in their eyes that still showed the barely visible form of innocence he had, it was more than enough for him to lean in until they were inches apart, his lips barely hovering above theirs.

A shiver ran through Sasuke's body and his eyes had widened a little further at the notion, the implications. So many things went through his head, so many emotions and thoughts but he already knew what the outcome would be. An Uchiha always gave their all, no matter what it was; that, and what this was, was all he had left to give. If the other was willing to accept that, then...

He arched his body upwards into the other, fingers curling into fabric and against skin. "Do it," he whispered, lips just barely brushing over Shikamaru's, and that was all the permission they needed before seconds later, they meshed together completely in their second kiss. Sasuke's grip went lax and his eyes slipped shut as he left himself to the feel of a connection; a link that he thought he'd severed a long time ago.

It was still there; and this time it felt even stronger than before. The idea still scared him a little, but if he was in control of his own fate now, then... This was something he wanted in his life. He would no longer bend to the whims of another and act the marionette, he would live by the way he so chose. He needily met Shikamaru's questioning tongue with his own and they began a sensual dance, filled with various emotions and much need on eithers part.

Shikamaru's hands slowly traveled up the length of Sasuke's sides, feeling him arch into his touch brought a shiver down his spine in realization that everything was really happening, Sasuke had reciprocated his advances and was giving what he had left to him. His heart. And it was so very fragile, Shikamaru almost pulled back because a sudden fear struck him that he could just as easily shatter it like so many others had done.

Sasuke's fingers tightened against him, clinging desperately to him, whining out helplessly, before Shikamaru pressed further into the kiss again, trying to settle his thoughts as he nibbled on his bottom lip. Their kiss continued for a long while, neither wanted to let it end, but air became an issue and so reluctantly, Sasuke pulled away first, his lips red and kiss-swolen, perfectly pouting as he breathed heavily, looking up at Shikamaru through lidded eyes.

Shikamaru panted softly, bringing one hand up to cup Sasuke's cheek, giving the other teen a weak smile. He recieved a shy-like smile in return, and it made his heart flutter, how he'd longed so see such a look from the other, now he finally had and it was better than he'd ever dreamed of. Just as he leaned back in to kiss the other again, a knock came on the door.

Sasuke let out a soft hiss, eyes snapping to the door, Sharingan activating as he glared. Shikamaru had to chuckle at the others reaction. He placed a soft kiss against the boy's cheek before he slid off of the bed and made his way to the door. He opened it to find Temari standing there.

"I've some news," She spoke seriously with a frown.

Brow raising, Shikamaru stepped aside to let her in. Temari entered, not really glancing at the other teen in the room before she broke the silence. "You have a week, we've recieved word that in four days a Konoha team will be heading out to help us out in the construction of a new building. If you don't want to be seen, you'd best prepare yourselves."

Sasuke's eyes had widened and he looked alarmed. Shikamaru looked serious and thoughtful as he nodded slowly at the girl. "Thanks for telling us."

The older teen nodded before sighing. "It's the least I could do. I'm heading out in two days to meet them since I'm to patrol the boarder. I figured I'd stop by on my way out for my rounds for the morning."

Shikamaru gave a weak grin to her. "You're awfully thoughtful."

"Don't push your luck, next time I may not be so generous." She warned with a grin of her own before she left with a slight wave.

Shikamaru shut the door behind her and sighed heavily. "What do you wish to do, Sasuke?"

The other sat up, frowning darkly. "We'll need to leave before they get here, obviously. From there, we should head back to Oto. It may be dangerous, but they wouldn't think we'd go back there. I can more than handle the majority of Orochimaru's prior lackies."

The shadow wielder was tempted to scoff at Sasuke and remind him that he'd been off-kilter for a little while, but he supposed Sasuke could be right, he did live there for three years. He'd know more than him about the area. He sighed. "Come on, get dressed. Let's head out into the town and get the rest of our supplies, I have some things I wish to discuss with you."

Sasuke pouted for a second at the thought of leaving the sanctuary of the room, but nodded slowly and got up, putting his clothes on before performing the necessary forms for his henge, once again appearing as the fairly busty, dark haired kunoichi he'd come back as a day before, making Shikamaru snort at him, rolling his eyes briefly.

They made their way out into the town's usual hustle and bustle, making their way down the market lane, buying what Shikamaru hadn't during the past few days, before he broke the silence.

"Sasuke... What do you wish to do with Itachi's body?"

Sasuke stiffened a little, eyes glancing around before he spoke softly. "I...don't know."

"Do you want to transplant your eyes for the Eternal Mangekyou?"

Sasuke shook his head. "No. He may have given me the option for that, but I will carve out my own path from now on. I will no longer follow the whims of others. I will make my own way with these eyes."

"But...you'll go blind." Shikamaru reasoned softly.

"Be that as it may, it's my choice. My brother died protecting the village, it was all in vain because Konoha is steeped in sin and darkness it cannot be saved, no matter what he may have thought. For that sacrifice, Konoha...must pay." Sasuke murmured, his eyes narrowing and his already black orbs darkened further if possible.

Shikamaru sighed softly, taking Sasuke's hand and pulled him slowly into a back alley. Slowly, he brought his hand up and tilted the other's head to look up at him. "Sasuke... I know it's hard to accept his death... But his sacrifice was not in vain. True, Konoha has stacked everything against itself, but...it's still our home. Where our friends are. Reconsider destroying it and instead focus on destroying those that brought the sin upon the village."

Sasuke's eyes had narrowed further in thought about Konoha and he nodded absently in slight agreement, but his mind detached for a moment at the soft, emotional way the other spoke about Itachi. Suddenly things seemed to dawn on him and a dry, humorless smile came to his lips. "You...loved him, didn't you?"

Shikamaru sighed heavily as he looked up towards the sky. "Yeah...I did. I came to love him like I love you. You two are opposite sides of a coin; so long as one existed, the other couldn't. He made the ultimate sacrifice in letting himself die so you could live, he wanted nothing more than to free you and I could do nothing to change that."

Sasuke's eyes closed and he leaned back against the wall heavily, sighing as he tried to find something to say, but he felt heavy again. Shikamaru noticed and tugged on Sasuke's arm a little, he still had his hand closed around his hand. "Don't think about it now, let's finish getting what we need for now. Time will help you sort things out."

Not bothering to reply, the Uchiha slipped off from the wall and followed the other's lead. still frowning a little heavily as they made their way back down the street. By the time they made it back, it was evening. They put their supplies away before setting out the dinner they'd bought while out and sat down to eat it. Sasuke merely picked at it as his thoughts mulled about his brother again. "Shikamaru..."

"Yeah?" Shikamaru paused in his eating to look seriously over at the Uchiha.

"I've figured out what I want to do with Itachi's body..."

-------

The next day found them packed up and they made their way to the Kazekage's office. Shikamaru handed the redhead a scroll. "Please...send it to Tsunade. It's important."

Gaara's brow rose, but he nodded slowly. "Temari. Kankuro." Instantly, the two siblings stepped forward.

"Go. Take this to the Godaime in Konoha."

Temari accepted the scroll and Kankuro nodded before they disappeared in a poof of smoke together.

"We're leaving today. Thanks for your generosity, Gaara." Shikamaru said with a scratch to the back of his head. The redhead nodded again, gaze lingering on Sasuke for a moment before he closed them and stood up. "Do you wish me to stay silent about you being here?"

Sasuke shook his head. "It won't matter. Once Tsunade reads that scroll, she'll know we've been here."

"I see..."

"Thanks again for everything," Shikamaru murmured as he and Sasuke left the office.

"If that team is Kurenai's or Kakashi's, then we best be prepared, they're trackers and very good ones." The shadow user murmured. Sasuke nodded thoughtfully before speaking.

"Can you make kage-bunshin?"

Shikamaru scratched the back of his head. "Sorta. They're literal kage bunshin made from my shadow, why?"

"They replicate the user's scent and chakra. If we send out several clones in different directions, then have them disperse after so far, it'll mislead them long enough for us to make it to Oto."

Shikamaru nodded again. "That's a fairly decent plan." They made it a mile out of the outskits before they made sepearate seals and four kage-bunshin from each of them appeared.

"Go," Sasuke ordered his and they began to scatter with Shikamaru's following wordlessly after them and they soon disappeared from sight.

"Let's go." Sasuke murmured, before they took off in the direction of Oto.

-------

Three days later, Tsunade was interrupted from paperwork by an urgent knock on the door. "Come in."

Temari and Kankuro appeared, and the blonde handed her the scroll. "It's urgent," she spoke.

Tsunade nodded before opening the scroll and began reading it. Her eyes widened several moments later. "You mean to tell me they were in Suna all this time?!"

Temari and Kankuro nodded. "They sought sanctuary with us until Sasuke recovered from some serious injuries. I'd assume they'd have left by now and are gone."

Tsunade slammed her fist on the desk before standing up. "Shizune!"

Her assistant came running into the room. "H-hai, Tsunade-sama?!"

"Get Kakashi and them now!"

"But they just got back--"

"It concerns Sasuke Uchiha!" The Godaime roared and Shizune's eyes widened before she all but scuttled out of the room to do as the woman wanted.

Ten minutes later found team seven assembled in her office.

"Kakashi. You and team seven will be heading out to Suna and catch up to Kurenai's team and together you will track down the rogue Sasuke and Shikamaru and bring them back. Temari and Kankuro will accompany you back."

Naruto pumped his fist and Sakura saluted grimly while Kakashi and Yamato nodded while Sai just stared blankly for a long moment before nodding as well.

"Go!"

Wordlessly, all of them left immediately.

Afterwards, Tsunade sat back down and picked up the scroll, taking a long drink of her sake, before sighing. "Shizune."

"Hai, Tsunade-sama?" Shizune asked.

"Have a grave discreetly be dug at the Uchiha cemetary next to a one Uchiha, Shisui."

"T-tsunade-sama?" Shizune questioned, blinking.

"They sent us the body of Uchiha, Itachi, requesting that he be buried next to Shisui."

Shizune gasped softly. "No autopsy?"

"No autopsy. I will honor their request. They've explained some things in this scroll and have made things clearer."

"Yes, Tsunade-sama. I will go request an Anbu member to do it." Shizune turned and left the room to do as the Hokage ordered.

Tsunade sat back and sighed heavily. "Of all the things..." she murmured to herself, rubbing her temples.

-------

Midway during the course of four days, Sasuke and Shikamaru were stopped by a shrill scream. "SASUKE-KUN!!"

Sasuke winced and stopped. Before them, Karin, Juugo, and Suigetsu appeared along with one other figure wearing an Akatsuki cloak with an orange mask.

Sasuke stiffened, glaring murderously at the figure.

"Now, now. Why the hostility?" The new figure questioned.

Sasuke didn't speak and Shikamaru's eyes had narrowed thoughtfully, but he said nothing. _'So this is Madara...'  
_  
"Sasuke-kun!! I was so worried about you!" Karin gushed and Sasuke glared at her as well, making her back up a little in shock.

"What do you want?" Sasuke hissed at Madara.

"To make you a proposition." He answered.

"Not interested." Sasuke responded, scoffing.

"I haven't even voiced what it is yet, don't be rude, Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke hissed lowly. "I don't need to know what it is to know I want nothing to do with it."

Shikamaru slowly placed his hand on the other teen's shoulder. "Sasuke, listen to his offer for a moment."

Sasuke looked a little surprised, staring at the other in the eyes. Slowly he nodded. "Fine, speak."

"To put it frankly, I need your help. And in return, I will grant you a favor in exchange. If you help me obtain the tailed-demons, I will give you a quarter of their power in exchange."

_'Heh...he still thinks I'm obsessed with power... I suppose this could work to my advantage...'_ Sasuke thought, Shikamaru was thinking similarly. If they could catch the other unaware, they could possibly take him out.

"...Fine. I will help you." Sasuke grit out, clenching his fists.

"Excellent. I'm aware you've got persuers, shall we be on our way, then?" Madara spoke.

Nodding slowly, Sasuke took a step forward with Shikamaru following behind.

Madara turned. "Follow me," He then took off, with Sasuke and Shikamaru following after him, leaving the other three to catch up.

"Sasuke-kun, who is he?" Karin asked once she'd caught up to the dark haired teen, pointing at Shikamaru.

Sasuke snorted. "He's someone special. That's all you need to know."

"You make it sound as if you're lovers," Suigetsu put in with a low chuckle before Karin kicked him.

"No way! Sasuke-kun would do better than that!"

"Like you?"

"Yes, like me!"

"Yeah, right. You're so flat-chested you'd never appeal to anyone; you're too psychotic."

"SUIGETSU!!" Karin shrieked, attempting to strangle the kiri-nin.

Sasuke just rolled his eyes and Shikamaru snorted. "Are they like this all the time?"

"Pretty much," He answered.

"Joy... Mendoukusai."

"Hn."

-------

"We're here." Madara announced as they entered a large, damp cave that automatically lit up enchanted torches.

Kisame appeared, brow raising at the sight of Shikamaru and Sasuke. "Well, well. We meet again."

"Mendoukusai. Don't make me drag you into another genjutsu again." Shikamaru groaned softly, leaving Sasuke's brow to raise.

"Wouldn't dream of it, you're evil when it comes to those shadows of yours. Itachi taught you well." Kisame replied, before looking at Madara.

"Let's get them settled in before we discuss further plans, I'm sure they could use the rest." Madara responded. "Kisame, show them the rooms."

The shark-like man nodded. "This way," He mumbled as he began to walk off, with the others following after him. Sasuke and Shikamaru decided on a room together again, while the others took separate ones, though Karin was disappointed at the chance to be close to Sasuke.

Sasuke settled onto the bed, rubbing his sunburn a little. It was fading slowly but it was still fairly painful. Shikamaru leaned against the wall, lost in thought.

"What now?" Sasuke asked softly.

"I can't very well say right now. The walls have ears, that much I'm sure of. We'll just wing things for now. I'm suspicious of him."

Sasuke nodded and laid back on the bed with a sigh. "I don't want to think anymore right now, but I can't stop."

Shikamaru approached the bed slowly. "I think I can help with that."

Sasuke's brow rose slowly, but he shrugged.

The other slid onto the bed, sliding one hand up Sasuke's side as he leaned over the teen, leaning in with the faintest of grins.

Sasuke's brow rose again, amusement gleaming in his eyes. "I hardly think this is the most appropreate place for this." He murmured.

Shikamaru snorted as he began to slowly kiss up Sasuke's neck. "I don't really care."

The others eyes slipped closed and he tilted his head back with a soft 'hn'. Shikamaru slowly brought his mouth up before sealing them over Sasuke's lips, kissing him deeply again, earning a low groan from the Uchiha as their arms lifted up and wrapped around him, pulling him closer.

-------

"I've lost their scent here," Pakkun stated as he sat in the middle of a foresty area, where Sasuke and Shikamaru had met up with Madara.

"There's new scents joining the mix, but... I can't identify where they went after this," Kiba added on.

Shino made an agreeing noise. "There's some kind of dampening here that's making scent tracing impossible."

Kakashi sighed heavily and Naruto looked put out. "Dammit! We were so close."

"Don't give up yet, Naruto." Sakura encouraged. "We may be able to find them even if we can't trace their scent."

"Yes, they may have left some kind of visual clues that we may have overlooked," Sai put in thoughtfully.

"Hinata," Kurenai stated and the girl looked at her.

"Use your Byakugan. Look for any clues visually that may lead us in their direction."

The girl nodded and her kekkei genkai activated as she began to scan the area.

"U-um... That way! There's some usual dent marks in the trees over that way," She pointed.

"Good, Hinata. Lead us, we'll follow you." Kakashi praised.

The girl nodded shyly, but took off at the run, with the others following after her.

-------

"Kisame..." Madara said as he turned towards the other.

"Yes?" Kisame responded.

"There are intruders approaching... Lead them away from here. We cannot let them discover us just yet."

"Heh... No problem." Kisame grinned his shark-grin before he disappeared in a poof of smoke.

"Soon... Things are beginning to fall into place." Madara murmured aloud to himself, grinning behind his mask.

"Just two more to go..."

**TBC**


	7. Chapter 7

**Title:** Not This Time.  
**Series:** Naruto: Shippuuden.  
**Rating:** R(M)  
**Genres:** Action-Adventure, Angst, Drama, Romance, Family-Friendship, uhh...I dunno?  
**Warnings:** Swearing, violence (when is this new?), sexual-themes? The author creating a weird love triangle? Uh...the author throwing the canon to the wind...? Yeah...

**DHC:** Kyahaha Another chapter. I think I'm going to extend a certain scene in this chapter and post it elsewhere for the perverted viewer's enjoyment. xDD Other than that, I hope everyone enjoys it! Oh yes, I'm finally debuting something in this chapter that I've wanted to since the conception of 'Crisis Reverted', kyahaha.

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Sasuke woke up with a crick in his back and Shikamaru's arms around him. His body had become used to the soft bed from the Inn in Suna instead of this hard would-be mattress. He mumbled a few choice words about it, rolling over and hiding his face in Shikamaru's neck, making the other stir a little.

"Mendoukusai..." He muttered sleepily, clinging tighter onto Sasuke, who made a quiet snorting sound in response. They laid there several more minutes, attempting to fall back into slumber, but failing so they weakly moved to get up. Sasuke sat up with a quiet whimper as he gingerly rubbed his sore back.

Shikamaru frowned a little, but he swatted Sasuke's hands away before placing his hands there and in a fluid movement, pushed his fingers in a certain way and flicked his thumbs up as he ran his hands up the entirety of his back. Instantly, the Uchiha arched forward with a loud gasp as it felt like each and every one of his vertebre clicked back into place. His eyes were wide and his mouth open in an 'o'.

"Dear Kami, where'd you learn that?" He whispered as he eased himself out of the arch and stretched, causing his partner to chuckle quietly. "I've learned various bits and pieces here and there of physical therapy from your brother... That was one of them."

Sasuke nodded slowly; he'd had some time to come to accept that Shikamaru had loved Itachi, and understood that he'd taught him plenty of things. He idly wondered just how strong Shikamaru was now, but part of him was afraid to know. "So I guess he taught you a lot of things. You're lucky..."

Shikamaru frowned softly but reached out, placing his hand on Sasuke's shoulder and pulled him back until he was leaning against his chest and put both of his arms around him. "He was concerned for you, he taught me what he could so that I could protect you. He left me with several scrolls to give you so that you could master the techniques. But I want you to know...he really did love you; he did everything with you in mind. It was a twisted, sickening way, yes, but he did it all for you."

Sasuke's shoulders shook as he fought back his emotion and managed to choke out: "I know,"

Shikamaru kissed the top of Sasuke's head before nuzzling down to the back of his neck, resting his forehead against him with a soft sigh. "Forgive me for my weakness in loving him as well, I'm only human." The other shivered, but lowered his head as he closed his eyes. "I can't....find it in myself to blame you. My aniki was attractive, kind, and a wonderful person... I can't blame you for loving him... But I don't understand how you can love me. I'm nothing like him."

"That's where you're wrong," Shikamaru murmured softly, sighing.

"You're so alike it's almost painful. I see so much of Itachi in you, and I saw so much of you in him; you two are yin and yang, there is no one without the other. His body may have died, but... Part of him still survives."

Sasuke blinked. "What do you...mean...?"

"Your eyes, Sasuke... He implanted his doujutsu into you... And me, he left me a portion of his power, part of himself inside of me. He wanted to ensure your safety." Shikamaru responded, his eyes flickering a little as he nearly lost himself to memories once again.

Sasuke watched silently, slightly envious and jealous that his brother had earned the other's affection as well. At the same time...he was glad. Glad that his brother had a chance to love; he had always been denied such a simple thing, and so...if he had truly seen the things in Shikamaru that Sasuke had, then he was glad that his brother had found some happiness before he died.

"I... I feel so foolish now. Everything I did... It feels as if it was all for nothing." He whispered, bringing his hands up to clench at his shoulders, hugging himself tightly. After a moment, Shikamaru's arms tightened around him as well, before lips brushed against the back of his neck again before the other spoke.

"It was not for nothing. You followed the only path that you believed was given to you. You may regret what you've done, but... Without it happening, you wouldn't be where you are now. iWe/i wouldn't be here right now." Sasuke listened, and knew he was right. He would still be running, still unknowing, and be without Shikamaru. The thought of being away from him pained him, the thought hurt; he wouldn't be able to handle it if the other left.

Was that...was that how Shikamaru had felt when he'd left...? Again, he felt foolish. He sighed, but lifted his head, letting his hands slowly slide down from his shoulders until his hands fastened to Shikamaru's arms. "I swear... No one else is going to make a pawn of me, I will make my own destiny from now on. I won't be bound to dancing upon strings for the amusement of others."

Shikamaru smiled faintly behind Sasuke. "Yeah... Your life is yours to do as you wish with. I'll follow you no matter where you go. I'm never going to let you go, I hope you know. It was a pain in the ass to get this far, I'm not going to go through it again. I'd just as soon bind my shadow to you to keep you from leaving."

"You won't have to go that far," Sasuke assured softly. "I have a better idea."

"And that is...?" Shikamaru asked, curious.

Sasuke squirmed a little in Shikamaru's grip until the other loosened enough until he turned around to face him. He had a mischievous smirk on his lips as he leaned in until their lips were almost touching. "I'll tell you later. For now...entertain me."

Shikamaru met the other's smirk with one of his own, he trailed one hand up the Uchiha's back, earning a shiver, before the other slid around to rest on their waist before he whispered in a husky voice: "I think I can do that."

Their lips crushed together, Sasuke's lips parting moments later only for Shikamaru's tongue to press in against Sasuke's, drawing a low moan from the teen. The shadow user's hands roamed over the smaller teen's body, drawing shivers and soft mewls, making the others body arch towards him. He managed to gently twist them both until Sasuke was lying flat beneath him and he pulled away from the kiss to look the dark haired teen over with a possessive gaze. Sasuke shuddered at the look, but couldn't stop the small smile that came to his face.

He was wanted; that was something he was used to, but this... This was a different kind of want, one he'd never experienced before, one he liked. He liked the attention, the touches, the way the other looked at him. Letting his eyes fall completely shut, he tilted his head to the side and back, offering up his neck to the other in a show of vulnerability.

The invitation was received clear and the shadow wielder leaned in again, placing kisses up along the hollow of his collarbone, moving up slowly, feeling every little quiver and shudder that went through the muscles there before he found his way to the small mark he'd made the day before, latching back onto it, causing the other to gasp softly, before moaning lowly as he arched his neck.

He nibbled and suckled on the mark, working it into an angry flare that was clearly visible against Sasuke's sunburn It was in the exact place the cursed mark had been, but Shikamaru wanted to make sure that this mark would be one that would bring pleasure, not pain. He bit down lightly, feeling his canines sink slightly into the skin. Sasuke let out a deep groan, one hand coming up to place itself at the back of his neck, pressing him deeper into the mark, wanting more.

More, Shikamaru gave him. He slowly worked the mark between his teeth, tasting small pricklets of blood as he laved his tongue over the mark to soothe it. Slowly, he began to channel his chakra into it, causing the Uchiha beneath him to moan again, fingers clutching at him desperately. When Shikamaru pulled away, the whole area around the mark was a bright purple, and the mark itself gave off a low pulse of chakra that resonated with his own.

He began to idly run his fingers over Sasuke's skin, watching him tremble and squirm, letting out quiet whimpers. Arousal was apparent in the Uchiha's gaze when they slitted open to stare at him, specks of red would sometimes flicker there, before he reached out to him, pulling the shadow user close, his words sending a shock of lust through him. "Take me, please... I want you."

"Sasuke..." Shikamaru licked his lips, a little unsure. "Are you...really sure?"

The other stared at him, silent for a long while before he nodded slowly. "Yes."

---------

Juugo, Karin, and Suigetsu were waiting out in the main 'hall' of the underground area where Kisame had appeared an hour prior, looking rather worn.

"What's taking Sasuke-kun so long? He doesn't usually sleep this long!" Karin complained.

"He did nearly die, you know, he probably needs the extra rest," Juugo reasoned quietly.

Suigetsu snorted. "Not likely, he's probably getting fucked by that other guy."

Karin's face turned bright red before she turned and performed a very successful drop kick to the unsuspecting kiri-nin. "SUIGETSU!!"

Juugo looked a little thoughtful. "Maybe... Sasuke was a little different around the other."

Karin turned to him, disbelief on her face. "Not you, too!"

"Look at the facts, Karin. He's been gone for a while with that guy; who knows what happened during that time. And you have to admit, Sasuke was different around him." Suigetsu mumbled, nursing the kick he received.

Kisame finally perked up to the conversation. "You've no idea."

Karin turned to him, frowning. "What's that supposed to mean?!"

The sharkman snorted. "Just what I said. You have no idea how much Sasuke has changed because of Shikamaru, likewise, you've no idea just how far he went for Sasuke."

"And you do?" Suigetsu asked, brow raising.

"I know more than you, that's for sure, brat. That Shikamaru...he's a powerful guy. If he can beat me, then he's certainly a match for Sasuke. Itachi taught him well, oh-ho-ho..."

Karin's eyes bugged out. "I-Itachi?! He... He taught him?"

Kisame only grinned his usual shark grin at her and refused to comment any more on the subject. Once again, Juugo looked thoughtful, Suigetsu mumbled about how it wasn't fair to withhold information about their leader, and Karin was still dumbfounded.

Twenty minutes passed before Sasuke and Shikamaru finally appeared.

The four of them were surprised at the fairly...upright aura the Uchiha was exhibiting and Shikamaru had a bored, blank expression on his face as he walked closely to the other.

Karin's nose finally scrunched and her senses went on high. She could strongly sense the others chakra resonating from Sasuke. Ten seconds later, she exploded.

"S-sasuke-kun! You-you didn't! You couldn't have! H-how...why...?" She looked like she was going to have a hysterical breakdown and Suigetsu only snorted.

"I told you. Did you listen? Nooo." He then caught sight of the mark marring Sasuke's shoulder and grinned widely, nearly mimicking Kisame's in its chompy-chompness before he spoke again. "I see you traded your cursed mark in for a love-bite."

Sasuke snorted softly, staring placedly at them all, before focusing his eyes back on Karin, specks of amusement flickering in his eyes.

"Maa, mendoukusai..." Shikamaru murmured, making his way past the hysteric girl and over to the table where Kisame sat and sat down as well with a yawn. The other glanced at him, grinning again.

"Don't even start, shark-breath." Shikamaru mumbled, rubbing at his temples as Karin decided to blow another gasket in her attempt to comprehend the situation.

Kisame snorted. "I'd gut you for that remark but I'd rather not have to face your damn shadows."

Shikamaru mumbled something under his breath before looking up. "Think you could gut her instead? I've got a headache from her screaming."

Sasuke was still standing there impassively, the corners of his lips twitching every so often as if he were fighting back the urge to laugh at Karin's stupidity. Finally he looked over to where the two were and easily brushed past the girl to go over and join them.

"I would say go ahead..." Sasuke started, shrugging. "But she is useful for some things. The only problem is she won't shut up."

Kisame stared at him for a moment before grinning even wider. "Want me to cut her tongue out?"

Karin's eyes widened and she immediately shut up, bringing her hands up to cover her mouth as Suigetsu began laughing hysterically and Juugo just sighed and shook his head.

"Think you could cut Suigetsu's out as well?" Sasuke asked, all with a serious expression, that making the kiri-nin shut up mid-laugh and stare with wide-eyes at their leader.

"Hahaha, I see you've got some spunk back to you, kid. I may take you up on that offer sometime. I could do with a little torture."

Sasuke's lips quirked slowly into a smirk, his eyes gleaming fully with amusement at the two of his four companions expressions. Shikamaru only snorted before he placed his arms on the table and rest his head on them, closing his eyes, causing both Sasuke and Kisame to roll their eyes, for they were both aware of his lazy tendencies.

"Wh-what the hell?!" Karin squeaked.

"Just shut the hell up already, I've got half a mind to choke you with my shadow..." Shikamaru mumbled sleepily.

Silence finally reigned at that remark, and all seemed to settle, except for the still-shocked expression Karin seemed to wear constantly now.

It was then that Madara chose to appear before everyone. "We've located the eight-tails. Sasuke, I would like your team to go and apprehend him, try not to kill him in the process."

Sasuke nodded slowly, standing up. "We'll leave in a day. There are still some loose-ends I need to tie up."

Madara frowned a little beneath the mask, normally, Sasuke would have jumped at the chance, but... His gaze shifted over to the semi-conscious figure of Shikamaru, wondering just how much the other teen had affected the other Uchiha. _'He may be an obsticle to getting what I want...'_ He thought before nodding. "Very well."

Sasuke nodded once more before prodding Shikamaru sharply with a finger. "Get up, lazy ass. Training."

Shikamaru groaned for a long moment. "Oh god, not again..."

Kisame let out a quiet snort. "You're never gonna escape the torture, kid. Not when you're attached to an Uchiha."

Shikamaru rose one hand up and oh-so-graciously flipped the man the bird before he pushed himself up to his full height and sighed, scratching the back of his head. "Mendoukusai..."

Sasuke snorted. "Come on, already. I don't have time to waste with your lagging."

"Uh-huh... Coming."

Slowly, the two headed off, everyone else watching in a slight stupor, except Madara who was still thinking about how different Sasuke had become and if it was to his liking or not.

----

"This was your idea of 'training'?" Shikamaru asked skeptically, frowning with both brows furrowed as he lept from branch to branch after his lover. Ahead of him, Sasuke snorted quietly, before replying back.

"Aa. I did say there were some loose ends to tie up, didn't I? And of course, it would be great training..."

Shikamaru swore under his breath, before muttering out a low 'mendoukusai' before letting out a heavy sigh. "You're going to be the death of me, Uchiha..."

Sasuke smirked. "I may just be..."

"That wasn't too comforting."

"It wasn't meant to be, heh."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes but soon lept down from the branch after Sasuke as they landed on the ground.

"We wait now. Kisame couldn't have led them too far off. His chakra's all over the place here. Surely they'd pick up on ours by now."

------

"I smell them!" Kiba suddenly yelled as he ran out of his tent, Akamaru on his heels, startling the rest of the members of the team.

"Where?!" Naruto demanded.

"Back the way we came, about 30 kilo's."

Kakashi nodded as he slowly stood up, everyone else following. "Alright, then. Let's move!"

"Alright!! I'm so totally gonna drag their asses back!" Naruto cheered before he, being the most boisterous, took off first, with Sakura on his heels, yelling at him not to be an idiot and to slow down.

Soon, all of them were leaping from branch to branch, and running beneath the trees to catch up. Hopefully, they would be going back to Konoha with two more in their group.

-----

"They're close," Sasuke mumbled, his Sharingan activated and swirling as he looked around. Shikamaru nodded mutely, sighing as he he scratched the back of his neck.

No more than five minutes later, the group made contact.

"Sasuke!" Naruto cried along with Sakura.

Sasuke kept a blank face, though inwardly, he wanted to smile. "Hn... Usuratonkachi... Sakura... And Kakashi."

"Glad you remember me," The masked Jounin said with a sigh.

"You ass! Do you know how much trouble you've caused us?!" Kiba roared, all with Akamaru growling in agreement with him.

Shikamaru gave him a lazy look while Sasuke snorted. "Urusai, dog-breath. Be thankful I'm even giving you a chance."

"A chance? So you knew?" Kurenai asked, brow raising.

"Maa... It wasn't that hard to figure out. Chakra signatures are a big clue." Shikamaru grumbled, scratching the back of his head.

"Why are you even with Sasuke, Shikamaru?" Sakura asked.

Shikamaru sighed heavily. "Personal reasons, it's none of your business."

"It's love," Shino finally spoke up, surprising the rest.

"W-what?!" Sakura stuttered.

"Don't tell me you can't sense it... Shikamaru's chakra is all over Sasuke at the moment. Isn't that obvious?"

Kiba's nose wrinkled. "I didn't notice that until you pointed it out, they're too close together so I couldn't tell..."

"You're also missing one obvious sign." Kakashi pointed out after a second.

Sasuke then smirked slowly. Hinata didn't even have to use the Byakugan to see it. "His shoulder..."

The others looked to his shoulders and finally saw the bite mark left there.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes, crouching to the ground as he scratched the back of his head. "So, anyway... If you're not here to try and take us back, leave. We've got business to attend to."

Sasuke nodded to accentuate his lover's words and the others looked between one another.

"Of course we're gonna take you back, you bakas!" Naruto yelled, pumping his fist into the air. Sakura nodded resolutely, though she still looked a little shaken and hurt as she gazed at Sasuke while pulling her gloves on.

Soon, all of them took battle stances and Shikamaru stood up, sighing, mumbling under his breath about how troublesome this was.

Sasuke smirked, sharingan swirling once again as his fingers twitched a little, itching to move.

It wasn't long until Sakura and Naruto lept for him, signaling the start of the battle.

Sasuke ducked Naruto's swing and twisted, slamming his leg into his stomach, only to send the teen flying back towards Sakura, who couldn't stop her momentum and causing them to collide.

Kiba and Akamaru lunged at him, only to be intercepted by Shikamaru throwing a hailstorm of kunai and shuriken their way. Forced to break off their attack, Hinata took their place, deflecting all of the weapons while Shino went forward, sending his Kikaichuu out towards Shikamaru.

Kurenai, Yamato and Kakashi stood back for the moment, watching and waiting for their chance to strike. Sai soon joined the mix with Sakura and Naruto, using his fast speed to break through Sasuke's first defense and closed in, striking at him with fast taijutsu blows, each one being countered or blocked because of Sasuke's Sharingan allowing him to keep up.

Naruto and Sakura closed in on the other two sides. "Triangle attack!" All three then closed in on him, each with an attack of their own. Sasuke barely had time to remember when they'd use the same technique together before he jumped, twisting around just in time to avoid their attacks, drawing his katana.

"Is that all you've got?" He taunted.

"We're just getting started!" Sakura called, cracking her knuckles.

Shikamaru was thanking all of Itachi's training because he was needing it to dodge all of the quick-succession movements Hinata produced with her Jyuuken and Kiba and Akamaru's quick followups. Not to mention Shino's kikaichuu, they were annoying.

His hands formed the seals in a blur. "Katon: Housenka no jutsu!"

Shino's Kikaichuu retreated immediately and Kiba and Akamaru had to break off their attack lest they run right into it. Hinata was quick enough to avoid it and broke into Shikamaru's defenses, laying several strikes to his torso and arms.

Shikamaru shook them off, even though the tenketsu points were closed and stinging a little. He needed to end this quickly. He sighed, deciding he should get serious. Closing his eyes for a long moment, a glow of chakra forming around him. In another instant, he dashed forward, striking Hinata with six blows to her chest and abdomen, sending her flying back into a tree with a loud cry.

Kiba and Akamaru lunged for him in retaliation, but he used the speed he'd gained through training to avoid their Gotsuuga, quickly turning and grabbed them with his shadow, it forming a huge hand before he squeezed, crushing them both before throwing them aside, listening to them land with a fairly sickening crunch. _'I'm sorry...'_ Shikamaru thought with a grimace.

Shino watched his teammates go down before he stepped forward. Before he could do anything, Kakashi put a hand on his shoulder. "Retreat and help your teammates, I'll take it from here. Kurenai, Tenzou, go check on Kiba and Akamaru."

The other Jounins didn't look that happy about the order, but nodded.

Kakashi lifted his Hitai-ate and exposed his Sharingan. "Saa... Now you're going to face me."

Shikamaru groaned a little. "Mendoukusai..."

Sasuke was managing against the other three, he'd come to find how much stronger Naruto and Sakura had gotten. All three of them were testing his abilities, he had to think fast, move faster, and for someone who had just recovered from nearly dying, he was doing damn well against them.

Gathering chakra to his sword, he slashed up, to the side, down, before spinning around, creating an almost gale-like force from said chakra, sending Sai and Sakura flying back as they were the ones in the vicinity, but soon came Naruto vaulting up and over the 'wall' via his clones and came down hard with a strike that Sasuke blocked with the flat edge of his katana.

"I'm going to drag you back if it's the last thing I ever do!" Naruto swore, gritting his teeth.

"It just might be, dobe." Sasuke taunted, before pushing Naruto back hard, sending him stumbling back, straight into the gale.

"Gahhhh!" Naruto cried before he hit the ground, panting. He slowly got to his feet, clenching his fists. "I won't give up! I won't EVER give up! I will bring you home!"

Sasuke gave the smallest of smiles in response, catching Naruto off guard. "You may be right..."

"Huh???"

"But..." Sasuke dashed forward, placing one his hand on Naruto's chest. "It won't be today."

With all of his strength, he shoved Naruto back with his chakra, sending him into a tree and knocking him clean out.

_'They've both gotten so much stronger...'_ Kurenai thought to herself as she watched from the side.

Sakura struggled to stand. "N-no... I won't... I won't let it be like this!" She stood, staggering a little, breathing heavily. She wiped the blood from her lips. Sasuke watched her slowly.

"You've grown much," He murmured softly.

She clenched her fists and took a step, before an other, each one becoming steadier than the last.

"I won't let the training shishou gave me go to waste! I will bring you home with us! Even if I have to break every bone in your body to do it!"

She gathered chakra at her before slamming her fist into the ground. "Gaia crusher!"

Large pillars of earth began to spike up, each one getting closer and closer to Sasuke. Before the Uchiha could move, more pillars shot up around him, completely boxing him in. His eyes widened.

Shikamaru paused in his fight against Kakashi, giving the Jounin an opening. But before he could land a hit, almost as if by magic, the other had disappeared.

Sasuke's eyes were wider than he thought they could be and his mouth parted in shock. Shikamaru had his hands in a seal, completely holding Sakura's jutsu from hitting Sasuke by his shadow. With a grunt, the shadow lifted the spike out of the ground, and threw it back at Sakura, who had widened her eyes. She just barely managed to jump out of the way as it made impact in the place she had been, shattering the earth around it.

Shikamaru stood up wearily from where he'd crouched, panting. "You're such a troublesome ass, do you know that?" He spoke to Sasuke with a weak grin.

Sasuke faintly smirked back. "So I've been told."

Kakashi had taken that opening, seeing the weakness on either's part and had charged a Raikiri and was dashing straight for Sasuke. With Shikamaru recovering, it would be a perfect shot.

Sasuke could barely react, his eyes were wide with surprise.

Shikamaru's eyes widened as well. He tried to move, but his body didn't want to. _'No... I won't let it... I won't let it be this way! Not like this, I won't let them take Sasuke!'_ Chakra suddenly flared around him, catching the Jounin off guard and before he could keep going, something slammed into him.

Shikamaru was on him, swinging blows at him. The others eyes were faintly glowing red with black specks almost like the Sharingan, he had large shadow wings, and a long shadowy tail formed like a scorpions behind him.

Sasuke watched with wide eyes, mouth open. He had not expected for such a thing. The way the other was giving off chakra, it reminded him of the cursed mark, but it couldn't be, right?

Kurenai was watching with wide eyes as well._ 'How did he grow so powerful...? He was just a lazy chuunin the last time... Maybe... Maybe he really does love Sasuke...'_ Yamato frowned as well, knowing the situation didn't look so well.

Kakashi could barely keep up, even with the Sharingan in blocking the blows, it was incredible how much the other had changed. He kept wondering how he'd grown so strong. Shikamaru was seeing red, he couldn't think of anything other than 'kill', every fibre of him screamed to kill anyone who would harm Sasuke.

Sakura was watching the whole scene agape, she couldn't even think of moving because she was too shocked to see someone she through she'd known become something so different.

Within moments, Shikamaru had Kakashi cornered, tail arched back and ready to strike the final blow, before he heard Sasuke's voice. "Stop."

His body went ridged and froze, sense finally came back to his mind, and the shadows dissolved, leaving him standing there, panting. He collapsed to his knees a few seconds later. Sasuke warped over there, grabbed him before warping back onto a tree limb.

"Listen! We won't be coming back to Konoha for a long time... As long as those that have seeped it in sin live, then we will not return. Know this: Konoha has been spared, but those who brought the sin upon the village are our targets. We won't return until they're dead." He spoke, letting Shikamaru lean heavily on him.

Kakashi blinked. "Who are they?"

"That is none of your concern. Just know that someday soon we'll be coming to take vengeance." He replied, before in a swirl of leaves, the two were gone.

Kakashi frowned darkly before he turned to Sakura. "Sakura, are you alright?"

She nodded. "Yes... I'll start checking over everyone now."

Kurenai stood from where she'd been kneeling beside Kiba and Akamaru. "When did Shikamaru get so powerful?"

"I don't know," Kakashi answered honestly. "I was surprised by it, too..."

"It seems we underestimated both of them." Yamato muttered.

"So it seems."

----

"What was that?" Sasuke asked once they'd made it back to the Akatsuki base. He slowly laid Shikamaru back on the bed, looking him over with a frown.

"Itachi's power," Shikamaru murmured back with a heavy sigh. "It activated when it sensed you were in danger. All I could think was 'kill', I wanted to kill anyone who would harm you."

Sasuke frowned a little, bringing his hand to Shikamaru's cheek before he closed his eyes and sighed. "I... Thank you."

"I love you," Shikamaru said simply with a small shrug. "Nothing will stop me from doing what I can to keep people from taking you away from me."

Sasuke's face heated up just a little, a small smile coming to his face at those words. He couldn't say the words back; not yet, but he understood. He climbed over the other to the inside of the bed and laid down beside him, closing his eyes as he placed his head on the other teen's chest.

Shikamaru smiled as well, petting his fingers through Sasuke's hair until he felt the other relax into a slumber. Listening to him breathe was enough to calm him as well until he fell into a slumber as well.

------

"Dammit!" Naruto cursed as he waved his arms back and forth. "I can't believe they got away again!"

"They're stronger than we had anticipated," Shino reminded.

"Damn, I didn't think Shikamaru would be that strong!" Kiba complained, wincing as Sakura bound him up with bandages around the ribs. Akamaru yipped feebly beside him.

"None of us were expecting their strength," Kakashi agreed.

"As soon as everyone is rested, we should head back to Konoha and tell the Godaime about this." Kurenai suggested, while Yamato agreed with her.

"We'll rest here for now, tomorrow, we head out." Kakashi said with a nod.

Everyone agreed and they all settled down to rest for the night.

**TBC

* * *

**

**DHC:** Muahaha, Shikamaru's Manticore form finally emerges! It's both a combination of Shikamaru's inner darkness as well as Itachi's protective influence on Shikamaru for Sasuke. You'll be seeing more of this form soon... Both in Crisis Reverted and this fic.


	8. Chapter 8

**Title:** Not This Time.  
**Series:** Naruto: Shippuuden.  
**Rating:** R(M)  
**Genres:** Action-Adventure, Angst, Drama, Romance, Family-Friendship, uhh...I dunno?  
**Warnings:** Swearing, violence (when is this new?), sexual-themes? The author creating a weird love triangle? Uh...the author throwing the canon to the wind...? Yeah...

**DHC:** And once again, another chapter. Woo-hoo! I'm kickin' 'em out like woah now. Now, if only I could find the enthusiasm to work on Crisis Reverted... -grimaces- That one's gonna be a bitch to write out... Anyway! Enough of my rambling. This chapter gets us back on track for the manga storyline. Here we go!

-------------

"Alright," Sasuke murmured as he stepped infront of his team.

"As of today... We are no longer the Hebi... Our goals, our abilities no longer serve Orochimaru. We have a new goal, and as of today... We will be known as Taka. Our goal is to see every last surviving Council Member in Konoha with knowledge of the Uchiha's destruction is met in kind.

"From there, we will work from the ground up, to purge Konoha of its sins... I may no longer care about the village itself anymore, but there are people there... No, _friends_ there that I will return to one day, but I will not so long as the stench of rot and aura of sin remain."

Karin had teared up a little as Sasuke's speech, looking both shocked and awed. Suigetsu frowned a little, but he made a quiet 'tch' sound, and Juugo merely nodded. Shikamaru smiled faintly, looking up towards the sky, only to see a raven pass by.

"Itachi smiles on you," He commented softly, leaving the others to look confused while Sasuke merely nodded in understanding.

"Today we move out in search of the Eight-Tails Jinchuuriki." Sasuke responded monotonely, turning on his heel and strode past the others. "Let's move!"

Wordlessly Taka followed after Sasuke as he took to the trees off towards Kumogakure.

------

"Gah... I-I didn't think he'd be this strong!" Suigetsu wheezed as he landed beside Juugo and Sasuke, who were the frontline between the Jinchuuriki, otherwise known as the "Killer Bee" and Shikamaru and Karin.

"We have to somehow break his defense... Juugo, to the left! Suigetsu, take the right. Close in on him with everything you have. I'll do my best to follow you up." Sasuke ordered as he placed his hand on his katana and re-drew it from where he'd sheathed it.

"Got it," Juugo nodded before moving off to the left as ordered.

"Tch! Just don't get us killed, Uchiha!" Suigetsu murmured before he did the same, taking the right.

Shikamaru and Karin kept back, trying to analyze the situation together. "He's got a killer amount of chakra," Shikamaru mumbled as he squinted his eyes.

"He moves like lightning, it's a wonder they're keeping up. They're wearing down fast." Karin added on.

"Karin, can you sense his movements by his chakra?"

"Yeah... Sort of. He's so fast it's almost hard to tell where he's going to move."

"Okay. Get back to a safer distance and start relaying his moves to them and I'll do my best to keep you safe. If we can get them on an even keel, they may have a chance at surprising him with a strike. Sasuke's good at those kind of opening's."

Karin looked a little skeptical, but taking one look at the near one-sided battle, she nodded and lept away. "Guys! Follow my instructions! I'm reading his chakra movements, I'll tell you which way he's going!" She yelled.

"Hah!" Bee yelled. "If you can keep up with me!"

"Left, 4 O'clock! Suigetsu, duck!"

Suigetsu didn't hesitate in dropping to his liquid form as the Jinchuuriki appeared and swiped over him.

"Left again, 1 O'clock! Juugo, now!"

Juugo slammed his fist out, using the partial power of the enzyme he carried to put more power into it just as Bee appeared and sent the guy staggering.

"You're a little pest, wench! I'll have to get rid of you!" He called. In instants, he began to dash towards her. He didn't get half way before electric-fused kunai came raining down at him, forcing him to veer away.

Shikamaru stood there, eyes still narrowed, all with an exhasperated expression on. "This is such a pain..."

"You're going down, little guy!" Killer Bee yelled as he charged for Shikamaru. Performing a swift series of flips, ducks, and dodges, the shadow user managed to nimbly evade each attack, leaving Karin shocked at how fast he was to be able to keep up.

Out of nowhere, Sasuke charged out with a Chidori-infused katana as he slammed it down through Killer Bee's shoulder, it was the opening he'd been looking for.

"Argh!" The Jinchuuriki cried, whirling around and clean throwing Sasuke off of him, sending him flying back into the cliff-wall.

"Sasuke!!" Karin cried out. "Are you alright?!"

Sasuke coughed, spitting out some blood. "I'm okay, Karin. Good job at relaying his coordinates to

everyone. Keep monitoring him, we'll block him from getting to you. Keep analyzing."

She nodded. "Got it."

Shikamaru was performing a rapid series of signs and when he finished, he used a kunai and cut his palm, before throwing another barrage of Kunai at the still recovering Killer Bee, with the blood, each Kunai poofed and morphed into a large swarm of Crows, each one of them attempting to strike at him with their large talons.

Bee yanked the katana Sasuke had out of his shoulder before using it to swing with chakra infused in it, slicing half of the flock in two, them poofing and turning back into useless kunai, falling limply into the sand. Having bought time, Suigetsu, Juugo, Sasuke, and Shikamaru regrouped.

"I don't think I'll be able to hold him long if I try to use the kagemane," Shikamaru admitted. "But I think I have another idea. If you can give me ten minutes to work it out."

Sasuke nodded, breathing a little heavily, he was eyeing his katana in the enemy's grip and was determined to get it back. "Alright. Ten minutes." He said as he straightened.

Suigetsu looked skeptical. "Are you nuts? We can't hold him that long!"

Juugo looked thoughtful. "We must try."

Sasuke glared at Suigetsu, his full Mangekyou coming into view. "You're a fucking coward. If you won't help, get the fuck away. But I can, and will hold him off for ten minutes even if it nearly gets me killed."

Juugo found the strength inside of him at Sasuke to nod his head. "And I will help you."

Sasuke nodded with a slight smile. "Thanks, Juugo."

Suigetsu frowned deeply. A moment later he sighed. "I'm gonna fucking regret this..."

Sasuke turned. "Karin! Relay his corrdinates at all times to the others, I can keep up with my Sharingan."

"Right!"

Killer Bee snorted. "If you can. You've yet to see my next form! Transformation!"

Karin's eyes nearly bugged out when the eight chakra tails popped out, appearing like an octopuss's and it was all she could to to keep reading his chakra when it was so enormous. "I-I can't! He has too much!" She began to panic.

"Calm down," Shikamaru assured, he was kneeling beside her suddenly, he had a blank scroll out and was drawing hasty, but sloppy seals along it. Karin bit her lip. "B-but, at this rate..."

"Just relax, focus. You can do it. They're depending on you to tell them where he's moving. You can do it." Shikamaru soothed softly, his voice becoming almost hypnotic to her before she nodded almost dazedly. She felt calm now.

"You gotta move! All of you, he'll crush you. Retreat to higher ground and use the height as an advantage!"

Shikamaru breathed out a soft sigh of relief as he kept scribbling as fast as he can on the scroll, dripping blood every so often here and there on it as if sealing the words, as he went.

------

Ten minutes felt almost impossible to the three as they were barely dodging and keeping Killer Bee's attacks away from Karin. Sasuke grit his teeth. At the corner of his eye began to drip blood. Suddenly black flames caught the Jinchuuriki on fire.

"I-is this Amaterasu?" Suigetsu asked, while Juugo watched it with almost rapt fascination. The man howled in pain, and it only served to make him angrier. "I'll crush y'all! Lariat!"

All of them took the brunt of the attack, the ground shaking from it, sending them off balance.

"Shit..." Sasuke gritted his teeth.

Shikamaru was hurrying as fast as he could, but even with all his calculations and haste, knew he could probably only cut the time down to eight minutes at best. The process he was doing was delicate and if he fucked it up, well... He just couldn't fuck it up!

------

They were worn out, and on their last life so to speak. After taking a couple of hits had nearly done them in. Karin was forced to stop giving directions in order to heal Sasuke with her chakra because of him being so close to death.

"We can't make it to the ten minutes, it's only been six." Suigetsu said, he was partially water from how much he was exerting himself. Juugo was breathing heavily and looking worn. Sasuke coughed up some blood, leaning back against Karin who was doing her best to heal the rest of him with ointment and the like.

"We have to... We have no other choice. Do you want to die here?! I have dreams, and ambitions! I will live my life out the way I wish! I refuse to die here. I will live, and I will return to my friends someday." Sasuke replied harshly, sharingan swirling madly.

The flames of Amaterasu were only hindering the Jinchuuriki a little, not nearly enough and Sasuke knew it. But having only gained his Mangekyou, he had not tried anything with it before, thus he knew not how to increase the power, or if he even could.

"Karin, get back, you're exhausted. We can't have you getting hurt." Sasuke murmured as he stood up wearily, slowly bringing his katana with him.

Karin frowned, but with a light sigh, nodded. She knew she was useless when it came to these kinds of things, but they were right, she'd only get in the way if she tried to fight. "Right."

Sasuke glanced back at Shikamaru, still watching him work. _'I just have to keep him busy...for a little bit longer... Okay. I'm going to risk it all. I have to, or they'll all die.'_

"Juugo, Suigetsu, watch over Karin. I'm going in."

"What?! Are you crazy? That's suicide!" Suigetsu complained.

Juugo frowned deeply. "If that's what you truly want, Sasuke..."

Sasuke nodded. "I'm sure. I know what I'm doing," He lied.

"You're going to die, dammit..." Suigetsu mumbled, mostly to himself, but Sasuke shook his head. His grip on his katana tightened. Wordlessly he stepped forward, one step after another before he broke into a run straight for Killer Bee.

"Hee-hee! Only one of you now? I'll crush you in one go! Lariat!" Sasuke barely dodged the attack and kept closing in, Sharingan nearly glowing at the rate it was spinning. Attack after attack came and each time it would just barely miss, before Sasuke had finally closed the distance. He leaped high, intending to use a finishing blow.

However, before he could connect, his eyes widened, one of the Jinchuuriki's lariat's had pierced clear through him. "Guh!" Using one of their chakra tails, he was sent flying back.

"Sasuke!!" Karin and Juugo yelled.

Karin raced over, trying to find a spot on her skin he could bite. "Hurry, you have to bite me!"

Juugo placed a hand on her. "You don't have enough chakra, do you, Karin?"

She frowned and he had his answer. "Let me do it, then." He insisted.

"He once had the cursed mark so my cells should be compatable with him..." He placed his hand over Sasuke's open ribcage and slowly, Juugo's whole skin started to stretch over him.

By then, Killer Bee had taken it a step further and had morphed to his last stage, the full fledged tailed beast mode.

"Come on, Sasuke! Wake up..." Karin urged as Juugo had finished healing him. Just as he had, he

suddenly shrunk down. _'He's...he's a child now?'_ She thought.

"J-Juugo..." Sasuke murmured as he opened his eyes.

"You are Kimimaro's incarnate and legacy to me, I won't let you die." He said softly.

"Head's up!" Karin yelled, the beast was closing in on them.

Suddenly a large flood of water rose up from the lake like a wall.

"Go! Get out of here, I'll hold him off." Suigetsu yelled.

"Suigetsu..." Sasuke said weakly.

"Just go!" He yelled back.

"Not likely! I'll crush every single one of you!" Killer Bee yelled, all before slamming directly into

Suigetsu, leaving a large explosion of water.

"Suigetsu!!" Karin screamed.

When the damage was over, Suigetsu was lying in a puddle, half formed and unconscious.

Shikamaru finished the seals only to look up to see everyone down. He leaped down and over to them.

Setting the scroll down he began forming handseals quickly. _'I don't have much time left... Gotta hurry or else everyone will be done for... Please let this work...'_

"Kuchiyose no jutsu!"

He slammed his hand over the seals on the scroll before his shadow expanded and from its depths, a large reaper appeared.

"What is it thou hast summoned me for?" They asked.

"Please, your power... I need it. I must save my friends. They're about to die."

"And what would I get in exchange for this bargain?"

"Anything,"

"Sh-Shikamaru, no... Not for us... It's not worth it..." Sasuke tried to say, before being wracked with pain.

Shikamaru looked over at Sasuke, to Juugo, Karin, and Suigetsu. He turned back to the shadow demon. "Anything you wish for. My life, my soul, anything and everything. I will protect these people."

"Very well, mortal... My power, you may have." The reaper faded and a shadowy glow formed around Shikamaru. Before he knew it, his hair had flown free from it's tie and now billowed on its own, his skin had turned a ghastly colour, and his shadow seemed twice as big as before.

Without wasting time, he charged for the demon form of Killer Bee, intent on stopping him there. Large shadow wings sprouted from his back and he leaped hard, the wings supporting his weight as he flew straight for them. Gathering chakra to their hands, a large scythe appeared, glowing with the same chakra as well.

"Reaper's Dance!" He cried, and began to swing his scythe in a series of large arcs and twirls, chakra waves flying out with each swing. When they impacted with Killer Bee, he was sent flying back from the force of the chakra. If anything, all it seemed to do was piss him off more.

"You little pissant, I'll destroy you!" He went to make a grab for him, but froze, a large shadow was holding him down.

"Shadow Stitch complete. Shadow Crush!!" The shadows closed in before completely compacting in, squeezing the Jinchuuriki, causing him to let out a loud roar. Shikamaru brought his scythe up and prepared to unleash the final swing, but before he could he was sent flying back at such a force he was knocked out cold when he hit the cliff's wall as the demon broke the hold from the shadows.

"Shikamaru!!" Sasuke cried.

Shikamaru was lying at an odd angle, and breathing shallow, all the reaper's chakra had left him. Sasuke stood, shaking with anger. His fists clenched. He wasn't going to take this anymore! _'Shikamaru... Karin... Juugo... Suigetsu... Each of them... They all risked themselves for this, for me... I won't let them die!'_ His eye widened and blood began dripping down once again before Killer Bee completely errupted into large, black flames.

_'I see... This is the full power of Amaterasu...'_ He thought as he channeled all of his rage and hatred into it, watching as the flames grew bigger and more consuming, fully enveloping the demon's form, listening to the howling sounds they made.

Sasuke sank to his knees, gasping for air as he clutched his eye from the pain. "Juugo... grab Shikamaru..." He wheezed.

Nodding, Juugo's arm stretched out to where Shikamaru was lying and gently picked him up and brought him back. Karin was cradling Suigetsu's head in her lap and was biting on her , the screams had stopped and Sasuke willed the flames to die off, his other eye widening and beginning to bleed as it happened, shutting the flames off. There, lying on the charred ground was Killer Bee, scorched and barely breathing.

"We did it..." Sasuke breathed.

"He's not dead, so we accomplished the goal," Juugo pointed out.

Sasuke stood, nodding slowly. "Juugo, hand me Shikamaru. I'll carry him, you grab our target. Karin, can you handle Suigetsu?"

Karin nodded as she stood up, pulling a still watery-form of Suigetsu with her. "Yes, I think so..."

"Good, let's get moving. We've got a long journey ahead of us." Sasuke took Shikamaru's limp form from Juugo, awkwardly settling him onto his back. It was harder now, he noted, since the other was taller than him now compared to when they were younger and at the same height. He pushed the memory back and began to walk.

-----

"The Akatsuki...huh?" A Kumo-nin asked from where they'd observed the battle.

"Yeah, but who were they?" The other replied.

"I couldn't tell... They don't fit any of the profiles of the other Akatsuki members we've heard of..."

"That one, their leader...doesn't he look familliar...?"

They squinted, just before Sasuke had picked them up, they caught a glimpse of the Uchiha crest on his yukata.

"He's...! That's an Uchiha crest!"

"What?! That's Uchiha, Sasuke?! What's he doing with the Akatsuki?!"

"I don't know, but we've got to inform lord Raikage of this immediately."

"Right!" The two ninjas disappeared in puffs of smoke.

-----

They made it back to the Akatsuki base in one piece, in record time. Karin had healed Shikamaru, who had several broken bones and a concussion, Juugo had finally returned to normal and they put Suigetsu in a healing tank of water for him to solidify and recover.

"Well done, I see you were the right choice for this mission," Madara praised.

Sasuke could only half-heartedly glare at the man as he silently turned, still carrying a weak Shikamaru with him.

"Sorry about that... I got careless..." Shikamaru whispered once Sasuke laid him down.

"You didn't have to go that far..." Sasuke replied, biting his lip.

"I couldn't let you guys die..."

"Don't ever do something like that. Some demons will not be so lenient in their bargains."

Shikamaru nodded slowly, before closing his eyes. "I'm tired..."

Sasuke nodded, climbing onto the mattress with him. "Sleep. We need to recover."

"Gladly..." Shikamaru's arm slipped around Sasuke and it didn't take even a milisecond later before he passed out. Sasuke stayed up a little longer, fighting his fatigue to make sure his lover was alright before he too, succumbed to the depths of unconsciousness.

**TBC

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**

**DHC:** This one was slightly rushed, and some details were left out due to lack of memory and for the sake of the fic with the addition of Shikamaru. Other than that, I hope everyone enjoyed this!


	9. Chapter 9

**Title:** Not This Time.  
**Series:** Naruto: Shippuuden.  
**Rating:** R(M)  
**Genres:** Action-Adventure, Angst, Drama, Romance, Family-Friendship, uhh...I dunno?  
**Warnings:** Swearing, violence (when is this new?), sexual-themes? The author creating a weird love triangle? Uh...the author throwing the canon to the wind...? Yeah...

**DHC:** So I finally update! I've got not one, but three chapters for you my friends. It's cause I luff you all so much! -hearts-

* * *

Sasuke and Shikamaru didn't wake up for three days straight, having been over-exhausted. When they did wake up, neither wanted to move, for they were still weak and lacking energy.

Though being one of the weakest, having sustained the most damaged, Sasuke still checked up on the rest of Taka, making sure they were fine before he allowed Shikamaru to drag him to a table and find some food to feed him. To which, the Uchiha ungracefully scarfed it down like it was going out of style.

The two of them ate a large fill, enough to make up for their lack of activity, before dragging themselves outside.

"I feel like I could sleep for years," Shikamaru mumbled, leaning back against a tree.

Sasuke nodded silently, taking his place beside him, leaning into him. "I... I feared for sure everyone was going to die... I haven't felt that way since... Since...." He trailed off, lowering his head until his chin met chest, and he was biting his lip, an embarassed flush creeping across his face.

Shikamaru weakly brought one arm up and slid it around Sasuke, pulling him completely against him as he shifted against the tree to accomodate the weight. "It's alright, we're alive; and it's not something to be ashamed of, you worrying for everyone else."

Sasuke didn't reply, he just continued to lean against the other, one hand coming up to clutch at him tightly, as if he'd disappear if he let go. They stayed there in silence for a long while before the Uchiha finally did manage to speak.

"...I'm a little scared. My heart... It's so shaky these days. I don't know whether I can accept what it wants. The other day... When I saw you all there, something in me snapped; I was reminded of the first A-rank mission we ever had as Genin, we all nearly died. Infact, I did die, but... Being with Taka, this team, being relied on for so much... It scares me, because I... I'm beginning to think of them as something precious to me. Something to protect."

Shikamaru nodded slowly, attempting to find words that would soothe his lover's fears. "I can't really relate so much on this, but... Is it so hard for someone to find reason in that want? Our hearts are fragile, but at the same time, stronger than we know. Sasuke, you're only human. We all waver, we all find things that are scary to face.

"But I think that you're beginning to see a side of yourself you've wanted, but could never have. You're free now, with no restrictions. I think your heart is scared to expand, because you still think there is something holding you back."

Sasuke stared out towards the treetops at the sky, eyes losing focus and going glossy as he processed and thought over what the shadow wielder said. Slowly he sighed. "I've always been afraid of what I had, that it was going to be taken away by someone or something. So I tried my hardest to push those things away because if I didn't have anything, I wouldn't lose it... Maybe it was foolish of me, but it always seemed that the happier I was, the more scared I got."

"Aa." Shikamaru replied, adopting a thinking face as well as he thought of a response. They lapsed into silence once again.

"I think you've come a long ways since the beginning of this, and I believe that you're going to keep changing for the better and it may take you some time, but... Somehow or another, I think you'll be able to accept things easier as they come. Clarity will come if you wait it out, just give yourself some time." The shadow user finally answered.

Sasuke sighed softly before he nodded, accepting the others reasoning and words. Slowly his body relaxed and he let himself breathe evenly, clearing the thoughts from his mind for the time being. Shikamaru leaned there against the tree, gazing up at the sky to the clouds; he still sometimes wished he could be one, with such freedom, but such thoughts were frivolous now and rarely entertained since he now knew he no longer had time to dream. But still, for the moment, he could find his reprieve.

'Itachi... Are you watching? Sasuke is trying so hard... Are you proud of him? Am I doing okay? ...I wish you were still here, I could do with a conversation right now. I know Sasuke's stronger than he looks, but... I don't want to push my thoughts on him. ...I hope that I have enough strength to see this through, it's so troublesome. Even my heart is a little shaky...' Shikamaru frowned a little as he let his thoughts wander down the line, his hold on Sasuke tightening just a fraction, making the other aware of his change in demeanor.

Sasuke, however, stayed silent. He didn't want to interrupt whatever the other was thinking of, or if he even wanted to know. Some memories were best left alone. He found his thoughts wandering once again moments later, back to Taka and found himself mulling over the three figures that made it up. Juugo was, despite the enzyme in his system, so gentle and kind-hearted. His loyalty was unspoken for, and he found himself smiling just a little. The man may have looked rough, but if it wasn't necessary, he wouldn't hurt a fly.

Suigetsu... Now there was a character. He was always mouthing off, but he was reliable in a fight. Sure, he had his own agenda and reasons for following him, but he rarely questioned or second guessed him. His abilities to turn into water and the like were very useful and though he was a pain in the ass a lot of the time, Sasuke could see a little bit of himself in the other.

And finally, Karin. Though she had an abnormal obsession for him, her tracking and sensing abilities were second to none. Though weak physically, she held her uses in her genjutsu. Perhaps during this rest period, he could find a way to train her... She was a bit bipolar and switched moods a lot; she somewhat reminded him of Sakura, but she was more extreme--spoke her mind--and was a lot more outgoing. If she could find a way to harness that energy into a physical form... He nodded absentmindedly, she would be very powerful, indeed.

"Ne...Shika?" He questioned after another long moment of thinking.

"Hn? Yeah, what is it?" Shikamaru replied after a few seconds pause.

"Do you think you could help me train the others? I'm sure you've seen their weaknesses by now and how we're not all that coordinated or balanced. Perhaps we should concentrate on training..." Sasuke murmured.

Shikamaru sighed heavily. "I guess you're right. I do want to say we should spend time resting, but you're right; there are some major and obvious flaws in this team. If we're going to survive, they're going to need to be seriously re-worked in their fighting abilities."

Sasuke nodded in agreement. "Shall we start now?"

"No rest for the wicked, eh?" Shikamaru responded with the barest of smirks.

"Of course not." the other retorted, gaining a small smirk of his own.

Over the course of two months, Sasuke and Shikamaru had worked on training Taka. Shikamaru had personally developed a style in accordiance to Karin. It had taken her a long while to adapt to the rigorous, if not cruel regimine she'd been set to. She'd broken down a couple of times over, but she'd set her jaw because she wanted to be useful to Sasuke, so she'd get back up and keep going.

Suigetsu and Juugo were mostly trained by Sasuke for speed. They were strong enough physically, but lacked speed. Sasuke made them train repeatedly from dawn til dusk.

"Good, Karin." Shikamaru praised as she'd managed to block his punch. She was blindfolded, and was relying only on her senses and her ability to read people from their chakra to anticipate his attacks.

He was currently teaching her how to channel her senses into strength in order to take the enemy by surprise. He pulled away before he pulled out a Kunai without warning, he launched it at her. He could see her biting her lip, a bead of sweat running down her cheek before at the last second, she managed to twist away, catching the kunai out of dead air and whirled, sending it straight back at him.

Widening his eyes, he was forced to twist as well, watching as it sailed past him and embedded itself into a tree. "Clever girl, Karin. That's a good way to catch the enemy off guard."

She grinned the slightest, pushing her hair back over her shoulders from where it had fallen in front from her whirling.

"You're getting quite adept at reading my movements. I think it's time we move on to the next step."

She nodded. "I'm ready."

"Take your blindfold off."

She reached back and undid the tie, slipping the cloth away from her eyes.

"We're going to be using weights to slow you down, but this will build up your strength and speed. You're agile as it is, but this will give you a bigger advantage. You'll be able to develop a fighting pattern with the weights." He'd gotten the idea from Lee, having watched him train before. He knew the weights would be good for the girl.

"Once you get back to your normal speed with the weights on, your strength should have increased as well. You'll be deadly. Also, I want you to start training with these," He held up a senbon needle.

"They'll be good practice to getting your speed back up with the weights since you have to have just-so accuracy and speed to hit a target fatally."

The girl nodded, getting a glint to her eyes of determination. "Alright. Let's do this!" She replied.

Smiling a little to himself, he nodded, reaching to his wrists and pulled off two weight straps. He hooked them to her, and watched faintly as she struggled for a moment to get used to the sudden change in weight. "We'll train your body seperately. First your arms, then your legs. Once you get back to your typical speed with the weights, we'll take the weights off and you'll re-train getting used to your new speed, then we'll do the same for your legs. After that, we'll increase the weight until I'm satisfied you're strong and fast enough."

She looked a bit hesitant, but her eyes moved over to where Sasuke was training Juugo and Suigetsu across the field. She looked back to Shikamaru and nodded. "If I can...be any use to Sasuke, then I'll do it. I... I don't care if he doesn't love me, I just want to see him smile. And if I can be useful to him, that's all I care about."

Shikamaru nodded, a little surprised at her words. "Alright, let me set up the targets and you'll begin training with those senbon."

She nodded fervently and Shikamaru ambled over to set up some targets, leaving the girl to her thoughts for a long while. Her fingers clenched and unclenched as she thought her decision over again, nodding to herself. Yes, if she was strong and able to handle herself, then she would be useful to Sasuke moreso than just her sensing and healing abilities. She wouldn't be a burden in a fight.

With her decision finalized once more, she twirled a senbon through her fingers as Shikamaru returned from setting the targets up.

"Alright! I will do this!" She said aloud with a determined expression on her face. Shikamaru nodded to her silently.

Without any need for prompting, she began to throw the needles.

A fortnight later found Sasuke and Shikamaru alone a long ways away from the Akatsuki base and far from any of its persuers dead in the night. "Shikamaru... It's time." Sasuke murmured as he looked up at the large, full moon.

Shikamaru took a drag off of his cigarette, slowly exhaling the smoke. "Are you sure you're ready?" He asked in response.

Sasuke turned his gaze over to the other, a contemplative expression on. "Yes. I'm ready, we're ready."

Shikamaru nodded. "Shall I, then?"

"Yes."

Snubbing the ciarette out, Shikamaru brought his hands up and formed a seal. A large black raven appeared and Shikamaru reached out his arm and the bird landed on it. Sasuke handed him a small scroll and the other secured it onto the raven.

"To the Godaime," He whispered softly to the bird, stroking along its feathers gently before urging it to take wing with a small nudge of his fingers. Without further prompting, the large bird took off, flying high into the night sky and they both watched silently until it was out of sight.

"Let's go back." Sasuke suggested. "We've got to collect Taka."

Shikamaru nodded in response and they both headed back to the base.

Two days later, a large raven tapped its beak against the Godaime's window. It was midnight, and the Hokage was sleeping peacefully, that is until a loud caw broke the silence.

"What the..." She slurred a little sleepily, as well as a bit drunkenly. Her blurry eyes finally focused on the window to the raven sitting on the sill, pecking at the window. She noticed the scroll on its back before she slipped her robe on and went to the window, opening it. The bird flew to her outstretched arm and she untied the scroll from its back. She looked at the bird strangely. It was not one of their usual carrier-types. No, this particular crow looked eerily familliar...

The bird flew itself back to the sill to wait while she turned a light on and unrolled the scroll. Her eyes scanned the contents of the letter. Placing a hand over her mouth to stifle her gasp, the scroll dropped from her shocked hand to the floor. All sleep and drunkeness left her. Without anything else, she all but ran out of her room into the next. "Shizune!" She yelled.

The woman snored quietly in her bed.

Tsunade stormed into the room. "Shizune!!"

The woman's eyes snapped open wide. "H-hai?!"

The Hokage was looking shell-shocked still but she ordered clearly: "Go collect Haruno, Sakura immediately and tell her to pack quickly and meet me at the gates in two hours. Do the same, Shizune."

"M-my lady...?" Shizune asked confusedly.

"Just do it, Shizune! I will explain later."

The woman nodded before getting up quickly to change and Tsunade left the room. She went back to hers and took out a piece of parchment and scribbled hastily on it before rolling it up and puting the hokage's seal on it before taking it back to the waiting raven. She knew she'd seen it before... She tied the message onto the bird. "Take flight, quickly!" She ordered it. Obeying, the bird took off immediately and flew off into the sky.

She turned, getting dressed before leaping out of the same window out onto the rooftops.

Kakashi awoke to a knock on his window and he sat up immediately, opening it. "Hokage-sama...?" He asked slowly, blinking his mis-matched eyes.

Tsunade ducked into the room and put a finger to her lips. "Kakashi, what I'm about to tell you is S-class and you will tell no one under penalty of death, understood?"

The Jounin nodded. "Hai, Hokage-sama."

"Also, I have a small favor to ask of you..."

"I understand, Hokage-sama." Kakashi said as he watched the woman climb back out his window.

She nodded. "I'm counting on you to hold things together for me."

He nodded back, scratching the back of his head. "I will do my best."

"Thanks, Kakashi." She turned and ran back off across the rooftops, leaving the other to stare off at the night sky for a long while before groaning quietly at the thought of the chaos that was going to begin in the morning...

"What's this about, shishou?" Sakura asked through a yawn, she was dressed in her usual clothes with a backpack strapped to herself and a traveling cloak over herself, Shizune dressed in her Jounin outfit with a cloak on as well and Tsunade stood there with her hands on her hips, frowning a little.

"I will explain along the way. Come, we need to move." She answered.

The gatemen were surprised to see the Hokage herself there, but they quickly opened them for her once she threatened to break it down herself and swore them to secrecy.

They took to the trees quickly and traveled at top speed until morning, by then they were far away from Konoha.

"Now will you tell us what's going on, Tsunade-sama?" Shizune asked as they'd stopped for a small break to eat some breakfast.

Tsunade sighed, but took out the scroll and handed it to her and both Shizune and Sakura read it.

Their gasps were simultaneous.

"Now do you see?" Tsunade asked.

"Shi-shishou... You're really...?" Sakura asked.

Shizune was standing there with a shocked expression on.

Tsunade nodded. "Yes. I'm going to bargain with a one Uchiha, Sasuke. He wouldn't contact me without a damn good reason or deal. I brought you two because I trust you both to keep everything that will be heard and exchanged secret, and should a battle arise, you can handle yourselves well, and, lastly, should I fall if this is a trap as I know you suspect, carry out my legacy and report that my chosen successor is Uzumaki, Naruto."

The two stood there in a long silence, swallowing the information before they both nodded hesitantly to the older woman.

"Very well. Let us continue."

Without need for more words, they finished eating and took off in the direction Sasuke had written on the scroll for them to meet...

**TBC**


	10. Chapter 10

**Title:** Not This Time.  
**Series:** Naruto: Shippuuden.  
**Rating:** R(M)  
**Genres:** Action-Adventure, Angst, Drama, Romance, Family-Friendship, uhh...I dunno?  
**Warnings:** Swearing, violence (when is this new?), sexual-themes? The author creating a weird love triangle? Uh...the author throwing the canon to the wind...? Yeah...

**DHC:** So I finally update! I've got not one, but three chapters for you my friends. It's cause I luff you all so much! -hearts-

* * *

Sasuke, Shikamaru and Taka had left a night after Shikamaru sent his summoned bird off to their destination area and it was three days later that the bird returned to them. It was approximately ten more hours before the Hokage and her two proteges arrived.

"You're fast," Sasuke commented softly.

Tsunade smirked faintly. "I can still keep up with you young people."

The slightest of smirks cracked at Sasuke's expression for a moment before he became serious once more and turned. "This is my team, Taka. Karin, Juugo, and Suigetsu."

The Godaime looked the three members over, not judging any of them by their appearance, brows raising after a moment. "I suppose if you handpicked them, then they're all formidable." she responded, watching as the three seemed to take pride in her assessment.

"You're the Godaime?" Karin asked, brows raising. "I thought you said she was older, Sasuke-kun."

Tsunade's brow ticked.

Sasuke snorted. "It's a special-type of henge, Karin. She just likes to stroke her own ego," He responded, a teasing smirk there on his lips.

"If you're going to insult me in my own presense, Uchiha, maybe I won't bargain with you after all," She responded, voice just as teasing, but there was a seriousness in her eyes that said there was no more beating around the bush. "I'm sure you're aware of my two chosen, Sakura, and Shizune."

Sasuke nodded, and Taka looked the two women over for a moment. Karin and Sakura's eyes met. Immediately there was a tension between them. Karin's eyes had narrowed behind her glasses and Sakura's fists clenched subtly. It didn't go unnoticed by Sasuke or Tsunade, but they ignored it for the moment.

Shikamaru took a drag from his cigarette, speaking for the first time from where he was sitting high in a branch, petting his summoned crow on his shoulder. "I suppose we should start with the reasonings as to why we contacted you in the first place," He began lazily.

Tsunade looked up at him, brows raising. "You? I thought that summon was an Uchiha-only summon, given that Itachi used it all the time."

Shikamaru blew out some smoke as he sighed. "Long story. In a nut shell: Itachi saved me when Sasuke nearly killed me, I trained with him for a long while, saved Sasuke after their battle, and here we are. This is one of the jutsus he had me learn."

"I...see." Tsunade blinked before looking back over at Sasuke.

"Here's the reason: I need your help. In exchange, I will provide you with information about the Akatsuki."

Shizune tilted her head. "What kind of help?"

Sasuke shifted a little hesitantly, eyes flickering up to Shikamaru before moving them to stare straight into Tsunade's. "I'm going blind."

The was a soft gasp from a couple of the people there.

"How can I help with that?" Tsunade asked confusedly.

"I am going blind as a result of having the Mangekyou Sharingan. In order to stop it, I need the eyes of another Uchiha. In this case..."

Sasuke took out a jar and held it up. In some kind of sealed solution was a pair of eyes and Tsunade gasped. "Those are...!"

"Yes. I removed them from my brother's body before I sent it to you. That is why I requested that you not do an autopsy."

"I... I see." Tsunade replied. "So you want your eyes to be transplanted with your brothers and that will restore your sight?"

"Basically, yes. It also gives me a few extra bonuses... I will have a new, heightened power from my doujutsu and my eyes will no longer dim because of using them. It is called the Eternal Mangekyou."

He frowned when he saw the looks Shizune and Tsunade had on. "Do not be so naive as to think I'm only doing this for the power, I am not so shallow anymore. I'm doing it because my brother wished it and If I'm to destroy those that provoked my revenge, then I will need these eyes to last me."

Tsunade frowned. "Kakashi mentioned to me that you were going to come to Konoha to 'purge' it."

"And we will, in due time." Shikamaru mumbled from where he was sitting.

Sasuke nodded. "There are those...who have corrupted Konoha. There are those who whispered the destruction of my clan, I would see every last one of them killed by my own katana."

"Who?" Shizune asked.

"Three members of your council, maybe more, but I've confirmed three so far..." Shikamaru mumbled.

"I have a guess at who one of them is," Tsunade muttered lowly, expression dark.

Sakura spoke up for the first time. "Who, shishou?"

"Danzou..." She spoke.

Immediately, Sasuke and Shikamaru tensed and for a moment, she saw the Sharingan flicker in the Uchiha's eyes.

"I'm guessing I'm right," she added.

Shikamaru nodded tensely. "Yes."

"But...isn't Danzou ROOT's leader? The one Sai is from?" Sakura asked.

"The very same," Tsunade responded.

"That traitor... I will kill him with my own hands." Sasuke muttered venomously, sharingan swirling to life, the star pattern of the Mangekyou coming into plain view.

"Not that I'm against you doing so," Tsunade replied, "But who are the other two?"

"The Sandaime's teammates. Utane and..." Shikamaru began.

"...Say no more," Tsunade replied, frowning deeply.

Shizune looked a little more than surprised to say the least. "Tsunade-sama?"

"I should have known... But I guess I can see their involvement."

Sasuke looked a little hesitant. "I've more information for you, but... Before I tell you, I need your decision about my eyes."

Tsunade tapped her fingers against her arm, a contemplative expression on her face. Shizune and Sakura shifted a little anxiously. After a long moment of silence, Tsunade slowly sighed.

"Alright, you have my word. I will transplant your eyes." She answered slowly after a moment.

Sasuke's eyes flickered with relief. "Thank you. Now, as promised, the information. Shikamaru,"

Shikamaru nodded to his summon and the crow took off before he lept down from the branch and dusted himself off.

"The intellegence we've gathered so far is quite immense, but if all this data is correct, it should benefit you well." He mumbled, taking out a cigarette and lit it up, taking a long drag from it, blowing the smoke out lazily, all with a bored expression on.

Tsunade nodded slowly. "Start from the beginning and we'll sift our way through it."

Sasuke nodded. "First of all, it begins during the great ninja wars..." He began.

By the time Sasuke and Shikamaru were finished with their information, Tsunade, Shizune, and Sakura were in shock.

"So, you're saying, that Uchiha, Madara is the true leader of the Akatsuki, he wants the tailed demons for some unknown reason, and in a matter of time, is going to be sending this...Pein, was it? To assault Konoha to take Naruto?" Tsunade asked.

Both Sasuke and Shikamaru nodded. "Correct," Shikamaru replied wearily.

"That's..." Shizune started quietly.

"That's terrible!" Sakura finished.

Tsunade's expression was grave. "You're sacrificing alot of information just for your eyes, aren't you, Sasuke?"

Sasuke snorted quietly. "I don't care about the Akastuki one way or another, I've my own agenda. My eyes are more important to me than what's going on with them. But if it benefits you enough, then so be it."

Tsunade clicked her tongue, but nodded in understanding. "Yes, I suppose that's acceptable enough. Shizune, set up our medical tent and get my equipment ready."

Shizune nodded. "Hai!" She turned and set her pack down, beginning to delve into it for the necessary equipment.

"Sakura, you will be assisting me with the transplant, you'll be in charge of stabillizing Sasuke once I remove and transplant his eyes."

The Haruno woman looked a little shaky, glancing to Sasuke who stared impassively back at her, almost imploringly, as if judging what her reaction would be. She looked back to her mentor and gave a sharp nod. "Hai, shishou. I will perform to the best of my abilities."

The Hokage smiled a little in pride. "Very well."

Sasuke turned to Shikamaru. "Take care of things while I'm out," He said softly.

Shikamaru nodded. Sasuke then turned to the rest of Taka and smirked. "If any of you step out of line, I'll kill you, got it?" Though he said it all with a straight face, there was an undertone to it that only Taka could understand from being so close to the Uchiha for so long, for they all smirked back in their own ways and nodded.

Suigetsu even had the nerve to sass back at the other. "That is, if you survive the blood loss, Uchiha. Hopefully you'll be too weak to stand for a month."

Karin snorted, elbowing the kiri-nin in the stomach. "Shut up, Suigetsu. Sasuke-kun could kill you blindfolded."

Juugo merely chuckled quietly and Shikamaru rolled his eyes while Sasuke cracked the slightest of smiles.

Tsunade and Sakura watched in slight fascination at the different responses and reactions to Sasuke's words.

"I've finished, Tsunade-sama." Shizune responded after half an hour of setting up and getting all the equipment ready.

"Very good, Shizune. You may rest for now. Go, Sakura. Go scrub and get prepared for the surgery."

The girl nodded before walking off to the tent to prepare.

"I can't promise immediate results, Sasuke. You may be temporarily blind for a short while afterwards and may experience many symptoms afterwards for up to a month, and your doujutsu may not properly work until your eyes completely heal. Are you sure the risk is worth it?" Tsunade asked, a finalty in her voice that said that this was his last chance to turn back if he wanted.

Sasuke merely stared right back at her before replying. "I don't care. My brother wanted me to have his eyes and I will exact his wishes."

She nodded. "Good. Let us begin." She turned and motioned for him to follow as she walked towards the tent.

Sasuke took one last look at Shikamaru and nodded before following after the woman and entered the tent behind her.

There was silence for a long while between everyone save the faint murmurs that came from the tent of Tsunade's voice instructing Sakura.

Six hours later found the surgery a success with Sasuke sleeping peacefully in his own tent with Sakura and Tsunade cleaning their instruments thoroughly, it was sunset by then.

Shikamaru turned to Taka. "Juugo, start a fire, Karin, go collect water and any vegetation salvageable enough to eat. Suigetsu, go hunting, since I know you've the urge to kill something, your twitching says it all." He ordered.

Suigetsu merely grinned his shark-like grin before taking off at a fast pace, leaving Karin to roll her eyes before nodding to Shikamaru and taking off in the opposite direction with Juugo ambling off slowly to collect some deadwood for the fire.

Shizune watched their effeciency with a little awe. "You've gained even more leadership qualities, Shikamaru-kun," She praised quietly.

"Not really... It's a pain, but it's all Sasuke's doing. He brought Taka together, I just help manage it when he's out of commission." He muttered back, crouching down and scratching the back of his head, glancing back at Sasuke's tent before reaching for his pack and digging through it to take out some pots and other ingredients they had stocked up on before coming out here.

"I see," Shizune replied, frowning a little, wondering why Shikamaru never took the credit when it was given.

By then, Tsunade and Sakura had finished cleaning everything and had returned. Tsunade's brows rose when she found the camp mostly deserted, but that changed about twenty minutes later when Juugo had a roaring fire started and Karin returned with three large containers filled with water and two knapsacks filled with harvested vegetation.

"Good girl, Karin." Shikamaru praised with a wry grin. She merely grinned back, setting the supplies down before taking her weights out of another bag and putting them back on. "It got kind of hard to move with them so I took 'em off. But I thought this would last us a while."

"Effeciently done," Shikamaru remarked, nodding in approval.

Juugo was stoking the fire, and soon Shikamaru had three pots of boiling water over the fire by the time Suigetsu came back twenty more minutes later with a small doe slung over his shoulders.

"Jeez, Suigetsu," Karin complained, but it was all for the sake of bantering since they'd worked around their animosity due to Sasuke and Shikamaru's constant teamwork survival tests. Now they argued for the sake of arguing.

"Shut it, flatchest." Suigetsu snapped back before setting the doe down. Shikamaru sighed, before taking out a skinning knife and murmured a silent prayer to nature and the life Suigetsu had taken before skinning and gutting it. It wasn't long until large steaks were cooking over the fire with rice and some of the vegetation Karin found while the rest was made into a salad The third pot of water was taken off and set to cool to become distilled water for cooking the next day.

Once everything was cooked and prepared, did they eat. Tsunade was silently surprised at how well the four mismatched people managed to work so effeciently. All the while while they were eating Sakura and Karin kept glaring back and forth at one another between their bites.

None of the others said anything about it, for fear of evoking either of the women's anger.

"...Shikamaru?" Came a quiet voice, startling everyone.

Shikamaru was immediately up and turned in the direction of the voice. Sasuke was standing weakly a few feet away, bandages wrapped around his eyes and he was pale from regenerating the blood he'd lost from the surgery.

"Surprise, surprise. The sleeping Prince awakens." Suigetsu snarked.

"Shut up, Suigetsu. Sasuke-kun, are you okay?" Karin asked concernedly, breaking her gaze from Sakura's to look the teen over worriedly.

"I'll live." Came the dry response.

"I didn't think you'd awaken so fast, Sasuke." Tsunade responded, sounding surprised.

"I have an accelerated healing system thanks to a couple of experiments Orochimaru performed on me." Sasuke spat darkly.

Shikamaru went over and all but guided Sasuke over and pushed him to sit. "If you've energy to bitch about the snake, you've energy to eat. Here," Shikamaru all but shoved his bowl into Sasuke's hand and handed him a pair of chopsticks.

Tsunade, Sakura, and Shizune watched, surprised, as the Uchiha didn't complain and began eating, just as effeciently as if he were seeing what he was doing.

"How can you eat without seeing, Sasuke-kun?" Shizune asked.

"...Practice." Sasuke replied wryly with a dry laugh.

"Lots of it," Shikamaru added on before he got himself another bowl and sat himself down next to the Uchiha.

"Does it hurt, Sasuke-kun?" Karin asked.

"I can't really tell yet, the numbing jutsu hasn't completely worn off yet." Sasuke responded, taking a bite of the venison.

"I suspect you'll be feeling it in a while," Tsunade responded.

Sasuke snorted in response.

Once they'd finished, everyone began to settle in for the night.  
**  
TBC**


	11. Chapter 11

**Title:** Not This Time.  
**Series:** Naruto: Shippuuden.  
**Rating:** R(M)  
**Genres:** Action-Adventure, Angst, Drama, Romance, Family-Friendship, uhh...I dunno?  
**Warnings:** Swearing, violence (when is this new?), sexual-themes? The author creating a weird love triangle? Uh...the author throwing the canon to the wind...? Yeah...

**DHC:** So I finally update! I've got not one, but three chapters for you my friends. It's cause I luff you all so much! -hearts-

* * *

"I'll take first watch," Karin spoke up to Sasuke and Taka.

Sasuke nodded. "Juugo will take second and Suigetsu third." He replied after another moment.

The other two nodded without complaint and Sasuke smiled just a little because he could sense it rather than see it.

Suigetsu and Juugo retired to thei tents before Shikamaru retired to his and Sasuke's. Soon, Sakura, Shizune, and Tsunade went to their own and settled into it for the night.

The night passed by uneventful and Sasuke still hadn't gone back to sleep. He stayed up silently, listening to the sounds of everyone's breath and the night around them. He could already feel his brother's power flowing through his veins. While he was asleep, he had a dream, or perhaps it was real, but his brother had been there, whispering things that he could only faintly remember. It was a warning of some kind, but he could not remember all of it.

The pain was beginning to surface to his eyes but he ignored it, it was a slight stinging compared to the pain of the cursemark and the experiments Kabuto and Orochimaru had performed on him. Sighing to himself, he stood.

Karin blinked over at him. "Sasuke-kun?" She questioned softly.

He turned to her direction. "I'm going to go train a little, I'm restless. Don't let anyone but Shikamaru disturb me."

The girl nodded to him. "Hai, Sasuke. Don't over exert yourself."

With the faintest of smiles at the girl, he turned and headed deeper into the forest.

Two hours later found Sakura wide awake. She tossed and turned, but could not get back to sleep. Upon using her senses, she found that there were only six people in the camp, minus her, instead of seven. She blinked before sitting up. She silently looked around to see Tsunade and Shizune still asleep. She quietly climbed out of bed and out of the tent.

She looked around, spotting Karin sitting by the fire, eyes closed, a small aura of chakra around her.

"He's not here," Karin spoke after a moment, opening her eyes and looking over to the girl.

"Where is he?" She asked.

"Training. Don't disturb him."

The girl glared. "Don't tell me what to do."

"He said he didn't wish to be disturbed by anyone other than Shikamaru."

"I don't care, I want to speak to him."

The girl stood up to her full height and Sakura did hers. Their eyes met again and they glared with all their worth. Sakura then turned and began walking off in the same direction Sasuke went.

"Fine, but don't blame me if he kills you for disturbing him," Karin spat scathingly.

Sakura ignored her and kept walking.

She walked for about a mile before she came to a clearing where Sasuke was in the middle of it, katana drawn, practicing with it. He moved like quicksilver, dashing around, swinging and striking, avoiding all objects in his way as if he could see them.

She walked closer, a little hesitantly.

Sasuke whirled and like lightning, threw his katana straight for her. With widened eyes an a gasp, she flung herself to the side to avoid it.

"I thought I said I didn't want to be disturbed, Karin." Sasuke said, sounding annoyed.

"S-Sasuke..." Sakura stuttered.

The Uchiha stiffened before the annoyance melted away into indifference. "Oh, it's only you."

He turned, walking over and brushed past her as he picked up his katana from where it had landed and resheathed it.

"'Only you'? Is that all you can say to someone you know?" Sakura countered, feeling a little mad.

"Used to know," Sasuke corrected. "I don't know you anymore, Sakura. Just as you no longer know me. The only thing that ties us together is the past, and that is something I don't care about anymore."

The girl's fists clenched. "Is that all?! I mean nothing to you? Nothing at all? All I am is a living memory?!"

Sasuke snorted before walking away from her. "Basically. But since you're here, make yourself useful and spar with me."

Sakura's anger flared to the surface. "You arrogant prick! After all these years of chasing after you with Naruto, you treat us like dirt?! Does it even register that we care about you?!"

Sasuke turned to her, expression eerily blank. "Sakura, shut up. All you're doing is spitting smoke with no fire. What's done is done, there's no erasing it, no returning. There will never be an Uchiha-Uzumaki-Haruno team again, there will never be a Team seven again, I've grown past that with a team of my own. Why can't you just let the past go quietly and move on? You can say that you care, you can say all of these things, but it doesn't matter anymore."

Tears formed in the girl's eyes and without warning, she swung a punch at the Uchiha with her full strength. Like nothing, the Uchiha twisted away from it, grabbed the girl's wrist and twisted, wrenching her around as he swept his leg and knocked her off balance and drove his elbow into her stomach as he flipped and threw her to the ground. There was a sick sound of air being forced from her lungs as she laid on her back wheezing, gasping for air.

Sasuke drew his katana and placed it at her throat, the girl's eyes widening. "This is how much you mean to me, Sakura. Absolutely nothing. I could kill you without any remorse, any regret and leave your corpse here to rot."

He retracted the blade from her and resheathed it, turning away from her. "Leave."

She pushed herself up, still with wide eyes, now with tears flowing freely down her cheeks as she did as the Uchiha commanded and left.

When she reached the camp, Tsunade was standing there with her hands on her hips. "You disappoint me, Sakura." She spoke sternly.

"Sh-shishou..." Sakura replied brokenly. "I-I had to try..."

Tsunade sighed heavily, but shook her head. "Go to bed, Sakura."

The girl nodded ashamedly and left to the tent.

Karin, seeing this, left and went to find Sasuke.

Sasuke, upon sensing her, took out another katana. He tossed it to her and she caught it. "Spar with me, Karin."

Not hesitating, she drew it. "Hai."

Like lightning, he'd drawn his and struck at her. She twisted around and it began.

She knew he needed to get whatever happened between the two out of his system so she played along with the dance and let him vent it out. It wasn't until he started speaking did it truly begin.

"I'm terrible, Karin." Sasuke muttered, his voice sounding almost lost as he struck at her.

"I think I just permanantly burned a bridge that has no hope of being rebuilt."

She was forced to do a one-handed backflip as he swept his leg at her and sliced over the spot where her head had been.

"I told her I didn't care about her, that the past was the past. I lied. I do care, but I... I can't take handling the mistakes of my past now. I can only move forward, and to look back upon the foolish things I did, it isn't fair to them. I don't deserve their kindness or care. I just want them to move on and forget about me. I told her I could've killed her and not regretted it, but I..."

He lunged almost violently for her, pushing the full force of his blade against the flat side of hers as she brought it up to block.

"But the truth is, part of me would die." He finished, his voice so quiet and sounded almost like a sob that Karin's heart wrenched.

"She had always thought she loved me, but I knew it was obsession. I never loved her back. At least, not romantically. I cared for her as a friend, a comrade. I would have died protecting her if it ever came to it. I still would, but I..."

"It's different now, I have you three, Taka. I have responsibilities now. I have to stay focused, my heart is wavering, Karin. I want to do so many things, but I feel powerless." He jumped away as Karin took a countering swing at him.

"I want so much to protect the three of you, but feeling like this... I don't think I could protect anyone."

Karin swallowed the lump in her throat as she slashed her katana hard in a vertical arc, a large chakra wave emerging from the tip of the blade. "I don't think you're terrible, Sasuke-kun... You just made another mistake. It may not be mendable, but there's always reasons for things like this. You're right, you can only move forward,"

Sasuke swung his katana and sent out his own chakra wave and the two collided, creating a mass force before wavering and dying out, canceling eachothers swing.

Karin continued, "But I think you deserve all the kindness and care everyone offers you, because you're special. I... I thought I'd loved you, too... But I see that it was obsession, too. Seeing Shikamaru's feelings for you... Mine never could compare, his... Now that's real love. I can see it."

Sasuke was forced to duck as she struck at him with a kick and twisted as she stabbed at him. He met her last swing with his own and they locked once again. "But I think now what my feelings are... Are more like a younger siblings. I look up to you, I respect you... I want to see you smile and be happy. I would do anything to accomplish that, too."

Sasuke's shoulders stiffened before he jumped back and lowered his katana. Karin stood there, finishing what she had to say. "If there was only one thing in the world I could have, it would be to see you smile the smile I saw at the Chuunin exams."

Sasuke stood there for a long while, letting her words sink slowly in. He was breathing heavily, adrenaline rushing through his system, his heart racing, but things suddenly felt clearer.

"I... I think, I can understand a little more now," He said softly.

"I can remember feeling that way about my brother, I would have done anything to see Itachi smile and be happy. I looked up to him, I loved and respected him." He lifted his head upwards a little and sighed a bit.

"I think I can accept the responsibility of being Taka's leader a little more now, because I thought it was just a one-way thing, the protection of the rest of the team, but you've shown me that theres a need to reciprocate, a want to share... Maybe...this is what Kakashi had tried to tell me all these years ago..."

Slowly, he sheathed his katana and Karin did the same. He stepped close to her, placing his hands on her shoulders. She could feel how warm his palms were on her shoulders and she stared at the place where his eyes would be behind the bandages.

"...Thank you." He whispered, a small, but true smile coming to his face. He leaned forward and gave her the lightest of kisses to her forehead. "I think, if I ever had had a younger sister, she would've been like you."

She stared at him with wide eyes. She smiled widely after another moment, her heart swelling with happiness and pride. "We need you, Sasuke. Not just to be our leader, but as a friend. You're important to us."

He nodded, pulling his hands away. "And you're all important to me, too. I think I can accept that now."

"Let's go back,"

Karin nodded. "Hai."

Together, they returned to the camp.

"Wake Juugo for his watch and you rest, Karin." Sasuke responded once they did. "You need to be in top shape."

The redheaded girl nodded, before marching off towards Juugo's tent. Tsunade was sitting by the fire, sipping something from a mug that he had a suspicion was of the alcoholic type. The blond turned to him. "How are you feeling, Sasuke?"

Sasuke sighed. "I can't tell right now, the adrenaline has me too wound up. Come on, let's walk. I've some things I must ask you."

The Hokage sighed heavily, but pushed herself to stand and moved to walk side by side with the younger male. They walked slowly through the forest a bit ways off.

"If Taka and I were to accompany you back to Konoha, would you allow a public execution of those three? I want Konoha to know of the sins of their past, so that they can continue on and correct the mistakes it made. I want them to know the retrobution of their sins, that Konoha stands upon pillars of mistrust and evil. I want them to understand so they will change their ways."

Tsunade stopped, looking at the Uchiha for a long while. He stood there impassively, as if staring back at her without seeing.

"You understand what you're asking of me, right? Do you know how much uproar that would cause?"

"Yes, I understand. But Konoha deserves to know the truth; the full story must be heard in order to correct the wrongs of the past so that it can never happen again."

Tsunade looked a little torn, sighing as she looked up towards the sky. She took a long sip from her mug. "You also understand I can't give you a pardon for the things you've done, Sasuke. You'll have to be tried sometime, too."

Sasuke nodded. "I'm aware of that, but I don't care. If I can see those bastards dead with my own hands, then I care not what punishment I will have to face for the path I chose. I can't change what I did, I can't justify it, either, but I want Konoha to know the truth before they make their decision about my fate."

Tsunade frowned deeper, sighing. "Is there no changing your mind?"

"I'm set in my ways, Tsunade. I have to keep moving forward down the path that was given to me, there is no turning back and redoing the mistakes I made. If it is my time to face them, then so be it, I will do so with my head held high." The Uchiha responded.

Looking worn and heavy for a long moment, the Godaime felt her age sinking into her at the Uchiha's words. So young... But to be so resigned to his fate... He was so much older than he should have been. For a moment, she wished Naruto was here, he had the magic to make things change, maybe there was still a sliver of hope left for the other teen. On the other hand, the blonde's presense may have been a bad choice if he had come, so she supposed one way or another, it was just a foolish what-if.

"...So be it, Sasuke. I will do what I can as Hokage, but even then, the charges of treason for them are slim to none."

"I know, but I will still kill them one way or another. If I must face death for killing them, then so be it."

Tsunade nodded grimly. "Shall we head back?"

"Yes."

They turned and walked back in the direction they came, Tsunade wondering how the other managed to move like he could see without even the slightest of stumbles.

They made it back and Tsunade went back to her tent. Sasuke went to his and slid down into the bedroll beside Shikamaru. "It's settled," he whispered.

"Good," Shikamaru mumbled faintly.

Nodding, Sasuke curled up against the other male and let his body rest.

The next day after breakfast Sasuke stood before Taka, lips a thin line. "Today, we of Taka will be accompanying the Hokage and her escorts back to Konoha. The time for Konoha's purging is soon."

Shizune and Sakura looked shocked at their decision, unaware that Tsunade was expecting it.

"We move out today," Sasuke continued, turning to Tsunade, lips twisting in question. "Or did the Lady Tsunade wish to stay longer?"

"Today is fine," Tsunade answered.

"Very well. Taka, pack up and get ready." Sasuke ordered.

"But... Your eyes, Sasuke-kun," Shizune began. "How are you going to see?"

Sasuke's lips quirked high into a smirk. "I don't have to see to find my way, Shizune. I'm quite capable of using chakra waves like sonar to detect where I'm going."

"So that's how you move about so easily," Tsunade hummed, looking thoughtful.

"I also have a few other methods, but yes, that's one of them." Sasuke responded dryly.

Twenty minutes later found everyone packed and ready to move.

Taking to the trees without need for words, the eight of them took off in the direction of Konoha.

The time for vengeance was drawing near...

**TBC**


	12. Chapter 12

**Title:** Not This Time.  
**Series:** Naruto: Shippuuden.  
**Rating:** R(M)  
**Genres:** Action-Adventure, Angst, Drama, Romance, Family-Friendship, uhh...I dunno?  
**Warnings:** Swearing, violence (when is this new?), sexual-themes? The author creating a weird love triangle? Uh...the author throwing the canon to the wind...? Yeah...

**DHC:** Short chapter but its building up to what I'm trying to shape it to be! Hope you all like this chapter too. PLEASE leave me some feedback if you do read this because I'm in desperate need of it.

* * *

Konoha was abuzz with whispers and stares as Sasuke and Taka walked silently behind the Hokage and her two proteges towards the Hokage's tower.

Many of them were directed at the Hokage and the rest were directed towards the Uchiha in question. Anbu guards had come, but Tsunade had waved them away, telling them to meet her at the tower.

Already, Konoha was like a blazing wildfire of whispers and gossip by the time they reached the tower. Kakashi stared impassively from the Hokage's desk, only the faintest traces of surprises in his visage when they arrived.

"You've returned, Lady Tsunade." Kakashi spoke as he stood from the chair.

"Yes, and as you can see, I've brought company." She responded.

Sasuke didn't speak, but by then, in the past few days they'd traveled, took his bandages off and he stared impassively at the Copy-nin.

"Hello, Sasuke." Kakashi greeted as he stepped away from the desk.

"...Kakashi." Sasuke returned, lifting his head just a little to acknowledge the greeting.

"Kakashi, take the Anbu outside of the door and collect Danzou, Utane and--"

Kakashi was frowning beneath the mask even before she finished and was already by the door. "Understood." He already knew this had to do with Sasuke's purge, there was no other alternative as to why they were here. But why was Tsunade cooperating with them...?

He didn't question or argue, so he stepped outside of the door and closed it behind him.

It was no more than three seconds later that Naruto practically flew in through the open window with wide eyes. "Baa-chan! Is it true?"

Before Tsunade could even reply, the blonde caught sight of Sasuke.

Both went still and quiet, staring one another in the eyes, neither saying anything for a long while.

"...Teme." Naruto began.

"...Dobe." Sasuke countered.

Naruto's brows furrowed. "Why have you come back?"

"Konoha's Purge has begun."

Naruto's eyes widened, before he turned to Tsunade. "Baa-chan! What is he talking about?"

Tsunade sighed. "Naruto, listen, it's--"

Before she could finish, the doors opened and the Anbu appeared with Kakashi, the three figures in tow.

"Tsunade!" Danzou roared, not noticing the Uchiha or the murderous looks Sasuke and Shikamaru were giving him. "What is the meaning of this!"

Tsunade drew herself to her full height, staring the man coolly in the eye. "The three of you are being charged with treason. You, Danzou, are accused of plotting to overthrow the natural order and seize control of Konoha. The other two, are being held on charges of murder for self-gain."

"Have you gone mad?" Utane spoke, looking even more stern and grumpier than usual. "Why would we do such a thing!"

It was then, that Danzou caught sight of the Uchiha. "You!" He spat venomously.

"Tsunade, remove this filfth from our presense immediately!"

Tsunade shook her head. "I'm afraid that Uchiha, Sasuke is under my protection under the jurisdiction of the charges you face. You're being charged with the crimes of the Uchiha's massacre."

"You cannot simply--" Utane began to argue.

Tsunade slammed her fist into the wall, leaving a large dent and cracks, her eyes ablaze with fury. "You will not tell me what I can or cannot do! As Hokage I am acting in the best interest of the safety of the village, Uchiha, Sasuke is here by free will and provided me with in depth information that I take as truth. And you, Utane, have no say since I hereby revoke all of your powers as council members."

Sasuke continued to stare murderously at the three, and the tension had begun rising.

"Now, then." The Godaime began, "Your charges have been stated and the penalties, decided. For self-gained murder, the penalty is death. You, Danzou, for planning to overthrow the natural order as well as assisting in the murder, your punishment is death as well. There will be a public execution for all of Konoha to see that justice be served."

She turned to the Anbu after speaking, ignoring the outbursts from the three. "Take them away."

Before the Anbu could completely secure all of them, Danzou launched himself foward directly towards the Hokage, murder in his visible eye.

Tsunade's eyes widened, unexpecting the attack and none were anticipating it. However, the man was forced to veer away as a katana swiped downwards at him. Sasuke had drawn his katana and was in a battle stance. "You will not harm the Godaime and if you wish to die so soon, I will be happy to oblige you."

Glancing around at the initial panic he'd instilled, the man took the only option left and ran, jumping out through the window.

"After him!" Tsunade roared. "Don't let him get away! Call for reinforcements."

Nodding, the extra Anbu in the room followed after immediately, leaving the other two Anbu members with their charges still standing there. "Take them away, we will postpone this for a later date."

Complying, they began to escort the two out.

Sasuke was clenching the hilt of his katana tightly, his eyes were stinging heavily and blood had began to drip down from the force of chakra that had built in them from the attempt to activate the sharingan.

Naruto was just staring in confusion for a long while. "Um... What was this all about?" He began.

Sakura sighed and shook her head. "Idiot."

-------

"What are you going to do about Danzou, Sasuke?" Tsunade asked once they'd restored semi order to the office and the Anbu had reported that Danzou was seen fleeing with two members of ROOT with him and that the trackers were chasing after him.

"Let him run like the coward he is. As soon as my eyes completely heal, I will hunt him down and slay him where he stands."

"And the other two?" Shizune asked, holding Tonton in her arms, petting the pig behind the ears.

"Proceed with the public execution... I will make my statement there. After I hunt down Danzou, I will return to Konoha and face all charges and allegations held against me."

"Can we trust your words on that?" Tsunade asked seriously.

"If you can't take his promise at face value, then trust mine, Tsunade-sama." Shikamaru spoke up.

Tsunade looked to Shikamaru. He had never lied or did anything to hide his true intentions, so she didn't have reason to doubt him. "Very well."

"The execution will be in a couple of days, until then... You're free to do as you please, but Anbu will be watching you, remember that."

Sasuke nodded, turning. "Taka, let's go."

One by one, they filed out of the Hokage's office. Shizune had already left to finish analyzing the data from the Pein corpse that Jiraiya had sent them and Sakura had returned to the hospital to continue her duties there. Naruto was forced, unwillingly, to return to the Toads to finish his training as a Sage.

----

"Why is that traitor being allowed to walk free?" Came the whispers of the people as Sasuke and his team passed down the street. Sasuke ignored them, but each one stung at his heart a little. His fingers were shaking by the time they reached the Uchiha District.

Shikamaru saw this and took Sasuke's trembling hands as he stepped close and murmured quietly to him: "Ignore what they say, you belong here whether they think so or not. We belong."

Sasuke looked into his eyes for a long while, the rest of Taka waited, giving the two their moment before Sasuke nodded mutely, taking a deep breath, lifting his head high and squared back his shoulders before he turned, still hand in hand with Shika and walked over to the large gates of the district and unsealed them, pushing the gates and they gave way easily before he stepped through and lead his team down the concrete walkway towards the main house.

----

"Sasuke is gone," Kisame informed Madara.

Madara frowned beneath his mask.

"Shall I track him?" Zetsu offered.

"No, leave them be for now... We've other matters to attend to. Pein."

Out of the shadows, the Rinnegan user stepped out alongside him, Konan.

"Make a trip to Konoha and retrieve the Ninetails. Crush them all if you must," Madara instructed.

Nodding, Pein turned and walked away with Konan and together they disappeared into the shadows once again.

Madara grinned beneath his mask. Soon, his war against the five nations would begin... And then, his plan would come to fruition.

**TBC**


	13. Chapter 13

**Title:** Not This Time.  
**Series:** Naruto: Shippuuden.  
**Rating:** R(M)  
**Genres:** Action-Adventure, Angst, Drama, Romance, Family-Friendship, uhh...I dunno?  
**Warnings:** Swearing, violence (when is this new?), sexual-themes? The author creating a weird love triangle? Uh...the author throwing the canon to the wind...? Yeah...

**DHC:** Hahaha I come with the next installment of Not This Time. -grins- I hope everyone enjoys it.

* * *

The public execution was held four days later, Sasuke had stood before the entireity of the city, and spoke out to the people about the sins of the city, of their ignorance and indifference to the happenings around them.

"You call me a traitor," He'd said, "And yet you only see what they've painted for you. It's true, I abandoned Konoha for power, but did anyone ever stop to think that someday, I might ever be back?"

There had been only silence.

"You all are just as guilty! You purposely close your eyes to the truth and only see what you want to see!"

He went on, telling the whole town of the sins of the past and how they were only going to collapse in on themselves if they remained ignorant.

"You can condemn me, that's fine. I'll accept that, but I will see that my justice is served first. Until every last person that had a hand in my clan's destruction is dead. It's true, my clan was at fault, too. I don't deny that, but it two wrongs didn't make it right."

He turned his back, drawing his katana as he went. "I made a vow to the Hokage that I will face all accusations and allegations held against me for the things I've done... Whether I'm guilty or innocent to you... I don't care. If you find me guilty, then I will die with my own honor, but if I'm to live, then you will have to accept that I am a Shinigami; a weapon, a tool of destruction. I can protect, or destroy. But its Konoha's choice-your choice that decides your fate."

He walked up the steps to the two elderly figures restrained there and gazed calmly at them. "Last words?" He asked.

Both of them looked to him, before shaking their heads.

"Very well." Sasuke murmured. He glanced to Shikamaru across the way. The other stared back before giving a small nod to him encouragingly.

Squashing all compassion he had in him, he slipped into his shinobi mode. Raising his katana, he took a breath. Time seemed to slow and everyone in Konoha braced themselves, even Tsunade looked away, and then time suddenly sped up and in instants, two heads fell to the floor and the bodies began jerking in death spasms.

Sasuke flicked the blood off of his katana and sheathed it, turning back to the crowd. "Remember this day well, people of Konoha. There will always be bad seeds, but its how they blossom in the end that decides whether they're worthy of being picked or not. Whether they're beautiful or rotton, it all starts at the beginning."

'And the 'bad seed' we all condemned...has grown into something beautiful,' Tsunade thought fondly, thinking of Naruto with the smallest of smiles.

'He may have had a stage of metamorphosis that was bad, but he truly is worthy.' Shikamaru thought, watching as Sasuke walked towards him and the rest of Taka. He smiled at the other who only smiled in return.

"Let's return, we've more training to do." Sasuke spoke quietly, closing his eyes for a long moment to clear the stinging sensation behind them, only to recieve nods from his team.

Kakashi and Sakura were standing off to the side together ontop of one of the roofs. "What do you think, Kaka-sensei?" Sakura asked.

"I think Sasuke is right," Kakashi replied.

"I..." Sakura sighed, shaking her head slowly to clear her thoughts before smiling a little, but Kakashi saw that she was still struggling with her feelings for the Uchiha. "He says he doesn't care about Konoha anymore, but if he goes this far to try and turn it around... Then I think deep inside, he really does. I just wish...we hadn't have doubted him. The only one who never did was...Naruto..."

She was pushing herself down on the inside and Kakashi sighed heavily before scratching the back of his head with one hand, placing the other on the girl's shoulder. "We're only human, Sakura. We all have our moments of doubt, even Naruto. But we all had our beliefs that someday Sasuke would return. It was just, we didn't know if it was for ill intent or good will."

The girl looked up at the man with semi-dull eyes, but at his words colour slightly returned to them and she nodded, her smile becoming a little brighter. "You're right. Thanks, Kaka-sensei."

The other gave her his one-eyed smile before she hopped down to go continue her duties as a medic-nin. Kakashi took one last look at the retreating backs of Sasuke and his team, before he smiled again. 'You really are a late blossom, Sasuke, but I'm glad to see that you're no longer drowning in your own hatred.'

"It's time," Pein stated as he and the other versions of him appeared along with Konan.

He turned to them. "Go, you know what to do."

Konan and two other Pein's nodded before they leaped up and approached the barrier that protected Konoha.

Pein watched for a long moment before he too, began to push forward with the rest of his bodies.

"H-Hokage-sama, the barrier's been penetrated forcefully, it's an attack!" A security shinobi cried as he ran into her office.

It had only been about three hours since the public execution, so Tsunade was not expecting those words at all.

"WHAT?" She roared, standing up from her desk in alarm. "Then what are you waiting for? Begin evacuation immediately, tell the Genins to escort all the villagers to the caves, Chuunin's are to be split, side A will support the Genin and side B will support the Jounin flank. ANBU are to be split into teams of three and send at least four teams to guard the Genin and Chuunin while the rest are to be dispersed throughout all checkpoints of town!"

She had already been prepared for this, thanks to the information from Sasuke, but with so little time to even properly form a decent plan... She'd been hard pressed to let the ANBU know and keep it a secret from the Council. They'd only interfere.

"Y-yes, Ma'am!" The other cried before running out at full speed.

Tsunade sat back, rubbing her temples, before glancing out the window in the direction of the Uchiha District. 'What are you going to do...Sasuke? Are you going to stand-by and watch as Konoha gets assaulted or are you going to be the Shinigami that you said you are...?' She thought quietly to herself with a frown before she turned back to her desk

"Sasuke-kun," Karin said boldly, stopping the sparring match between him and Suigetsu.

"What is it Karin?" Sasuke said, glancing towards her, with his katana raised, holding Suigetsu's larger blade at bay.

"I sense it, they're here. Pein and Konan are here. The attack is coming." She responded a little nervously, fidgeting with the end of her hair and glasses.

Sasuke frowned darkly, retracting his katana and sheathing it, falling out of stance. "So soon? Damn."

"What do you think, Sasuke?" Shikamaru asked quietly.

"We'll observe first. Tsunade already said she had a plan to put into effect. We'll see if that will be enough. I don't want to interfere unless we must. If it comes down to it, we'll enter the fray if Pein attacks us or the situation in Konoha turns bad." Sasuke responded, sounding a little mechanical, all with a small grimace on his expression before nodding firmly.

The others around nodded to his plan.

"Let's go. We need to get to higher ground." Sasuke spoke before turning and began to run off in the direction of the forest.

Chaos was inevitable, there were corpses lying everywhere; buildings were destroyed, others were only half-there, Konoha was almost unrecognizable in the shape it was in.

Shizune had fallen, as had several other people. Kakashi was fighting one of the Pein's with Chouza and Chouji and they were faring poorly.

Sasuke had watched the destruction with fury in his eyes. His Sharingan swirled to life, before he stood straight from where he'd been crouching. Enough was enough.

"Taka, we're going in. Be prepared for a hard fight."

All of them nodded. As one, they took off in the direction of Kakashi and the other two's.

"You're out of chakra..." Pein stated monotonely as Kakashi was there in the rubble he'd crashed upon him with his jutsu.

Kakashi grimaced in pain. "Get out of here, go! Relay the information to the Hokage quickly!" He yelled to Chouza and Chouji.

"But..." Chouji began.

"Go, son." Chouza encouraged. Chouji frowned deeply before he nodded and took off towards the Hokage tower.

Pein pulled a nail out of one of the boards before letting it rest on his finger. After a moment, it began to fly straight towards Kakashi. Just as it happened, a hail of Kunai and Shuriken came flying at him, disrrupting his concentration as he was forced to whirl and jump away.

"Ngh!"

Sasuke landed and immediately turned to see Kakashi gagging, the nail had pierced through his throat. His eyes widened. "Karin!" She immediately ran over to the jounin, beginning to check him over and attempt to heal him.

Sasuke turned to Chouza, who was looking at them with surprise. "Go, we'll handle things here. Go help out the others."

The man regarded them for a moment, before nodding. "Very well... His Jutsu can only be used in intervals of five seconds, use his recovery time wisely. He can repel anything with that jutsu or draw things in."

Sasuke nodded. "Thanks for the information. We'll put it to good use."

With that, the man took off.

"Sasuke! I can't... The nail's too far in. He has a chance of surviving if it stays in, but he's slowly choking. If I could get him else where, there's a chance I could time my movements with his chakra, but..." Karin stated, adjusting her glasses anxiously. Meanwhile, Pein was just standing there observing them.

"So you came to Konoha's Aid after all, Sasuke..." Pein murmured. Sasuke turned to the Pein and snorted.

"For reasons you'd never understand." He retorted, before he turned to Karin. "Stay with Kakashi and keep him stable as best as you can! We'll handle this."

He made a flick of his wrist and without needing a prompt, Suigetsu charged for Pein.

In an instant he was thrown back from the jutsu, but before the body could recover, Shikamaru had closed the distance, slashing upwards in a vertical slash, leaving a large gash in the man's side.

But before Shikamaru could get out, he was sent flying by the jutsu and slammed into one of the few remaining walls of a building, gasping as the wind was forced from his lungs, falling to the ground limply, attempting to catch his breath.

Sasuke's Sharingan flickered for a moment as he stared over at Shikamaru before back at Pein. Anger shook through him and he dashed forward, katana drawn and was determined to end it quickly. Before he got within striking distance, his katana flew out of his hands from the Pein drawing it towards him. Sasuke grit his teeth, changing his tactic, lightning charging to his hand as he kept dashing. He dodged with incredible speed as Pein sent the katana flying back at him and struck the body with a chidori nagashi straight through the ribs.

There was a loud gasp behind him. He spun to see Karin on her side, hands covering her mouth and when he looked again, Kakashi had pushed her aside to avoid the sword, and instead now it had pierced completely through the man his eyes went dim and soon, his body went limp.

Sasuke's eyes widened. 'No... How could I have... Kakashi, no... Dammit! Dammit, why? I made yet another mistake... It's my fault.' He began shaking. Juugo and Suigetsu watched with surprise as the Pein body moved and shoved Sasuke hard, sending him flying.

"No!" Karin cried. In a bolt of speed, she dashed from where she'd once been directly into Sasuke's path and let him crash into her. They flew into a bunch of debris with a crash. They rolled and when they stopped, Sasuke was face down, his face buried into Karin's shoulder, her arms were wrapped tight around him, but something felt wrong. Something was prodding him in the stomach.

He groaned as he came to and pushed himself up. "Karin? Karin, are you alright?" He asked, voice small and almost fearful.

Karin stared up at him with glossed over red eyes, before they refocused at his voice and she looked at him and smiled. She went to speak, but when she opened her mouth, blood began to pour out. Eyes widening, Sasuke looked her over. Protruding from her chest was a large wooden spike.

"No..." Sasuke breathed, sounding almost hysterical. "No! It can't-no! Karin, you idiot why did you-?"

She silenced him by raising her hand and putting it on his cheek. Bloodied tears formed in the corner of Sasuke's eyes as he stared down at her.

"Because...I love you. And you're important to the world; in the choice between your life and mine, it was simple. I couldn't let you die..." She whispered, voice weak, but she still managed to smile, though pain wracked her body.

"K-Karin..." Sasuke whimpered quietly, bringing his hand up to take hers and held it tightly.

"Don't cry for me, Sasuke. Smile. Smile for me...one...last...time..." She gasped, her eyes kept fogging over and breathing was coming harder and harder for her, she could already feel her body shutting down on her.

Sasuke stared at her for a long moment. Pushing his tears back as best as he could, he did his best and smiled at her.

"Thank...you..." She breathed, smiling a little wider, before letting her eyes close. "Now I can..."

Before she could finish, her breath exhaled and her hand in Sasuke's went limp.

Sasuke knelt there, just shaking.

'No... No, no, no, no! This is... This is just like...' Pain flashed through him as memories of his clan's slaughter replayed itself in his mind, before flashing to Itachi's death and his smile, back to Kakashi and Karin.

'No...!'

He carefully dislodged the wooden stake from her chest and pulled her close, not caring as blood soaked through his yukata as he scooped her up into his arms and stood. Suigetsu and Juugo wore somber expressions, Suigetsu's looking a little more sad than Juugo's at the sight of their fallen teammate and the near-broken expression Sasuke wore.

Shikamaru stood, biting his lip as he'd observed the whole scene, but couldn't do anything about it. His throat had closed in on him, though he wanted desperately to console his lover.

Sasuke slowly walked over to where Kakashi's corpse lain and gently laid Karin's body next to his before slowly pulling his katana out from Kakashi's corpse and stood.

He turned, staring blankly at Pein, who seemed to be waiting.

"You..." Sasuke began, and suddenly a black aura of chakra formed around him and his Eternal Mangekyou flared to life.

"...Have sealed your fate."

Before anything else could be said, Sasuke let out a pained wail that echoed throughout Konoha as the aura enveloped his entire being.

"Sasuke!" Shikamaru cried out, looking alarmed.

Sasuke clutched at his head, tears began pouring down his face, blood and mucus mixing as they fell to the ground. The pain of losing two important people finally hit him and the pain, coupled with the power of his Mangekyou activating and agitating his still-healing eyes were enough to bring him to the point he felt like he was going to break.

The despair came back, the hatred, all the rage he'd ever felt resurfaced and suddenly came to a head. It flowed out through him and into his chakra and with a large burst of it, a cloud of dust enveloped him.

"Sasuke!" Shikamaru shouted again.

When the dust settled, Sasuke looked up. His eyes looked dead, even though the Eternal Mangekyou was clearly seen in them, they'd twisted and reshaped once again. The star-like pattern remained, but now six tomoes were attached to each point of the star and were swirling madly.

Behind him, an eerie corpse-like being appeared, the aura connecting the two.

"So... You've summoned Susanou..." Pein murmured monotonely.

Shikamaru's eyes widened. "That's Sasuke's Susanou...?" He ran over to Sasuke and stopped beside him, staring into his eyes, attempting to find his lover in them, for they were blank, filled with emptiness and pain.

"Get out of my way..." Sasuke muttered darkly, his voice empty.

"Sasuke," Shikamaru tried again.

"I said get out of my way!" Sasuke screamed, shoving Shikamaru to the side before he charged headlong at Pein.

Pein almost smirked as he performed his repelling jutsu.

"Wh-what?" He gasped after another moment as the jutsu only slowed Sasuke down a little, but he was still coming directly for him, Susanou shielding him from the jutsu.

Sasuke's eyes were ablaze with fury as he leapt high, katana raised and ready to strike.

Staggering back, unable to move now because of the recovery time of the jutsu, Pein knew he couldn't avoid the incoming attack.

"Die!" Sasuke screamed as he plunged his katana clear through Pein's chest. Susanou's power amplified and the katana grew longer and soon exited out behind the man, the black aura had enveloped the sword and with its life-draining powers began to siphon all life and chakra out of the body.

Gurgling in pain, the Pein body shook and twitched on Sasuke's sword, the Rinnegan-eyes swerving everywhere before Sasuke forcefully withdrew the blade. The body fell back to the ground and Sasuke stood there for a long while, unmoving. Slowly, the black aura faded around him and Susanou disappeared and the Eternal Mangekyou receded and his eyes turned back to normal.

Shikamaru hesitantly approached and placed his hand on their shoulder.

"It's my fault..." Sasuke mumbled brokenly.

"It wasn't your fault," Shikamaru replied back.

"Kakashi and Karin died because of me! How is it not my fault?" He cried out, turning towards Shikamaru, once again, bloody tears were running down his face.

"You couldn't have stopped them from doing what they felt was right, Kakashi died saving Karin because he felt that was right; Karin sacrificed herself protecting you because that was what ishe/i wanted and felt was right. Don't sully their sacrifices by blaming it on yourself."

Suigetsu and Juugo approached and gave their own thoughts on the matter.

"Karin loved you more than she loved anything else, Sasuke. All she wanted was to be useful to you and to see you smile." Suigetsu spoke, scowling for a moment. "Though flatchest was a pain in my ass, she was our friend, too."

Juugo nodded slowly. "You told us... That this Kakashi person once told you that those who broke rules and codes were trash, but those that disreguarded their friends were worse than trash... I'm sure Karin took those words to heart. You meant alot to her; she sacrificed herself for her friend."

Sasuke was silent for a long while. Almost, as if he could no longer find the energy, fell forward directly into Shikamaru who caught him and began to sob.

Meanwhile, Naruto had returned to the destruction and returned in time to stop the fight between Tsunade and the Pein body she was fighting. It wasn't long until Konoha completely fell under the weight of itself from all the damage the Pein's wrought.

At seeing Hinata shield him from an incoming attack and was sent flying to the ground with servere injuries, he lost it. Eight tails sprouted from his chakra and he suddenly morphed completely to fox form.

Inside, he'd lost himself to the grief and pain.

'Come to me... I will erase all who have harmed you...' A voice called.

'I will make it so you never hurt again...'

Shaking, the seal on his stomach released.

'All you have to do is release me... No more suffering...'

Dimly, he stod, and began to slowly trudge through the black goo that had surrounded him that was pouring from the seal as he approached the large caged bars.

His dull blue eyes stared dully at the cage. His hand shaking, he rose his arm up, hand barely ghosting over the seal. Slowly his fingers curled at the tag, and just before he began to pull it back...

A hand clamped over his.

"YOU!" The demon roared, and Naruto's eyes widened.

Standing beside him was a man who looked much like an older version of him.

"Y-Yondaime-sama..." he whispered, and the man merely smiled.

**TBC**


	14. Chapter 14

**Title:** Not This Time.  
**Series:** Naruto: Shippuuden.  
**Rating:** R(M)  
**Genres:** Action-Adventure, Angst, Drama, Romance, Family-Friendship, uhh...I dunno?  
**Warnings:** Swearing, violence (when is this new?), sexual-themes? The author creating a weird love triangle? Uh...the author throwing the canon to the wind...? Yeah...

**DHC:** Homg I live on this baby. -luffs on it- I'm sorry there's gonna be a cliffhanger in chis chapter and I'm sorry to tease you like that. has those damn regulatons about posting full lemons and shit... So I eas forced to cut it off. I may post the link to where you can find it some other time, though. Hope everyone enjoys this!

* * *

"Hello, Naruto." The Yondaime said.

The fox in the cage growled. "You! Damn you, come here! I'll tear you apart!"

"No thanks, that's one offer I'm afraid I'll have to decline." The Yondaime said before turning back to Naruto who wore a confused expression on.

"You...know me?"

"Know you? I'm the one who named you!" The Yondaime-Namikaze, Minato said.

"You..." Naruto blinked.

"I guess Hiruzen didn't tell you much... I'm sorry. Naruto, I named you because you're my child."

Naruto stared blankly. "Huh?"

"You are my child," Minato repeated calmly.

"Grr! I'LL KILL YOU!" The Kyuubi roared again and Minato sighed.

"Let's go somewhere else to discuss this, shall we?" With a snap, they were in a blank plain of Naruto's mind.

"You're my...?" Naruto began quietly.

"Yes, I am. I designed the seal so that my spirit would appear once you reached the Eighth tail, even though I wished it would never happen...I'm glad I got the chance to see my son."

Naruto looked to the ground. After a long moment, his shoulders started shaking as he began laughing hysterically. Minato looked a little alarmed, realizing that Naruto's consciousness was getting more and more unstable.

"Hoo, that's rich... I'm the son of the Yondaime, big whoop..." Naruto mumbled before glaring daggers at the man, exploding into a temper.

"WHY THE HELL DID YOU EVER SEAL A DEMON INTO YOUR OWN SON? WHY?"

Minato sighed heavily, tilting his head up, eyes closing part-way, sadness and grief apparent in his expression.

"I guess it wouldn't do for me to apologize or act fatherly now, but... I am truly sorry. You were necessary, I knew I could not defeat the Nine-tails, the only option I had left was to seal it away into a newborn child-I chose you not out of conveniance, but out of love. Sometimes, we don't understand the why's, but I'll try to show you..."

Minato stepped closer and Naruto flinched, but didn't move. Minato lifted his hand and placed it against the boy's cheek, thumb slowly stroking down along his jawline. "Your mother and I were so proud to have you, and I knew, I somehow-I don't really know how or why-but I somehow knew that you'd be able to handle the demon. How could I have asked any other parent to let their child bare the burden if I was not able to offer my own child?"

Tears began to form in Naruto's eyes as he stared up into Minato's and saw nothing but pure love shining in them, and a sad, melancholic sort of remorse in them. "Tou-san..." He whimpered quietly.

"How old are you now, Naruto?" Minato asked softly, moving his hand slowly to thread into the boy's locks of hair and stroked through it, watching as his son's eyes went lidded.

"Sixteen..." Naruto responded, looking almost confused by how gentle and loving the touches were. He'd become so used to fighting, being hit, taking damage that such kindness almost felt foreign.

"Sixteen... Wow, you've grown so much. You're an adult now... But I want you to know, I'm proud of you."

Naruto looked up at Minato, staring with wide innocent eyes in disbelief. "You...are? But I'm no good, I'm just a stupid person, I can't even perform simple jutsus and can't even save a single friend or-"

The Yondaime placed a finger over Naruto's lips, silencing him before he smiled kindly again. "Don't say such things about yourself. You're a great shinobi and you're very bright in your own right even if other people don't see it. What happened with Sasuke was not your fault and you couldn't have prevented Jiraiya-sensei's death."

Naruto's eyes widened further. "You knew?"

"I've seen it all... I must admit, I am angry at how so many people treated you with such disrespect when all I wanted was for them to honor you as a hero. But, enough of that. Listen, my chakra's fading and I still have some important things to say."

Naruto bit on his lip but nodded solomnly.

"There is someone pulling the strings behind all of this. He's using Pein's anger towards Konoha... I fought him and he could see past all of my moves. He's the one I believe who set the nine-tails on the village. You know him, he's the one in the orange mask."

Naruto's eyes widened. "Him? But...why? Why would he do this?"

"I don't know..." Minato answered honestly with a weak shrug.

"All I know is that he has some sinister plan that only you can stop... It's something that I believe only you can accomplish. But for now... You must help restore Konoha and protect it. That's what I'm charging you with. You carry the will of fire and I believe in you."

"I know it sounds stupid, but... Do you really...?"

Minato's smile turned sad again. After another moment he drew Naruto close into a hug. "It's every parent's job to believe in their child no matter what. Just remember, if no one else will believe in you, Kushina and I do. We love you."

A few tears escaped Naruto's eyes before he clenched them shut. "Tou-san..."

"I will redo the seal...one last time. Just remember Naruto: The road to peace is a long one, but so long as you never give up and keep fighting for what's right, then you can reach it."

Making the necessary seals, the Yondaime resealed the seal on Naruto's stomach. Naruto watched as the man stood straight once again and gazed at him with a smile and pride shining in his eyes as he began to fade from his sight.

"Tou-san!" Naruto cried out, trembling fingers reaching out for him.

"I love you, Naruto. We'll see one another again. Keep going forward until you reach that day."

With that, the man faded completely from sight, leaving Naruto standing there, trembling.

"Tou-san..." Whispered the blond, looking down towards the ground at his shaking hands.

"I...thank you."

Looking back up, his eyes sharpened and he gave a nod to himself, his trembling stopping.

"What?" Pein yelled as a bright flash enveloped the Eight-tailed demon and when it faded, Naruto was standing there with a determined glint in his eyes.

"He...managed to overcome the demon's chakra?"

Naruto leaped down from the sphere he was standing on and approached the Pein body. "Take me to the Main Body."

Shikamaru slid down to the ground with Sasuke in his arms, uncaring about the carnage and destruction that had happened around them, or about anything else, really. Sasuke just trembled against him, eyes clenched shut, bloody tears still dripping down his cheeks in an attempt to release the pent-up emotion he was feeling.

Suigetsu and Juugo stood by silently, allowing their leader the space and silence to grieve. It was still a surprise to them, how drastically Sasuke had changed; how different he had become thanks to Shikamaru. How much more ihuman/i he seemed.

Even when the whole of Konoha collapsed around them, Sasuke did not care; it was the pain of losing so many loved ones in such a short span of time-his lifetime-that he just couldn't handle it. Hysterically, he began to laugh inbetween his sobs. Shikamaru could feel how strained Sasuke's sanity was right now and wished nothing more than to be able to fix it. To right the wrongs that happened in Sasuke's life, to give him everything he ever wanted and more.

"I-... Why... Why does this always happen to me...? Why do I always screw up?" Sasuke asked brokenly.

"You didn't screw up, Sasuke. Things like this happen. It wasn't your fault and you couldn't have stopped it. Please, don't think of the what-if's or what-could-have-been-done's. You need to look forward." Shikamaru whispered, tilting Sasuke's head up to look at him, cupping his face gently, wiping away some of the bloodied tears away with his thumbs.

"It's too hard..." Sasuke trembled.

"Then look towards me," Shikamaru responded. "If it's too hard to look forward, look towards me. I'll guide you. I love you, Sasuke. I would give you the world and all of its beauty to you if you ever asked for it if it would make you happy. It's sappy and corny, and forgive me for saying it, but it's the truth."

Sasuke went silent for a long while, just trembling. "I told you I'd fall," He whispered.

Shikamaru shook his head. "You haven't fallen. Remember? You can't fall if I don't let go. I haven't let go of you, Sasuke. I'm still here, you're right here with me. I'm not going to let you fall."

Sasuke looked at Shikamaru for a long while, just staring into his eyes, and for an instant, Shikamaru understood. He could see it, feel it; the sorrow, the fear, the pain. The insane hollowness that filled his lover to the brim and threatened to crash over. The next instant, their lips met.

It was a desperate kiss, Sasuke pouring everything out into it for Shikamaru to take; to save him, to wash away everything and make it clean again. To add light to his darkness and Shikamaru just pulled Sasuke closer, encompasing him in warmth and love, doing his best to take everything that Sasuke needed him to. When they parted for air, Sasuke let his head fall back as he gazed up at the now grayed-out sky.

It was about that moment that Shikaku and Inoichi along with Ino appeared, looking at the damage. Their eyes widened at the sight of Kakashi's still body and the other body lying beside him, before looking to the visage of Sasuke on his knees with Shikamaru infront of him, looking worried.

"What happened, Shikamaru?" Shikaku finally asked softly.

"Kakashi saved Karin from an attack and died. Karin then saved Sasuke's life. Sasuke killed the Pein body afterwards." Shikamaru responded blandly.

Sasuke's eyes closed before he lowered his head and sighed heavily. "They... They believed in me. Even when I couldn't believe in myself. Even when I'd lost all hope and drowned in my despair, they believed in me. I... I can't let their sacrifices be in vain."

Ino's eyes welled up as she began to see that this was the true Sasuke. Not the one that he displayed on the outside. That this worn, heavy-laden man infront of her was the true Sasuke. And while she was still struggling with her feelings about Shikamaru and him being together, she could see how much the Uchiha needed Shikamaru. The other two men were silent for a long while.

Shikamaru slowly took Sasuke's hand and pulled him to stand with him. Finally, he turned to the other two. "What's the status of the rest of the village?"

"Terrible," Shikaku responded. "We've lost many. Tsunade herself has fallen into a coma, saving the village when it collapsed in on itself. Naruto is currently battling a Pein body and we're still trying to locate the main body."

Shikamaru nodded. Sasuke trembled before looking to the ground. "...The dobe's gotten strong, hasn't he...?" He asked.

"Yes, Sasuke. He's the Toad Sage now." Inoichi answered.

Sasuke began chuckling quietly. "He always... He always did say he was going to show me up. I guess he has."

Ino stepped up slowly, looking hesitant. "Not yet, Sasuke-kun... Not until he becomes Hokage. Though he's powerful, he's still just a Genin rank-wise. You can still become great. Though I believe in Naruto, I still believe in you."

Sasuke's eyes slowly settled on the Yamanaka girl, silent for a long while. "...Thank you."

Suddenly, there was a bright flash of light.

"Naruto's located the main body," Katsuyu informed them all.

"He's talking to them now... It seems to be that Pein was Jiraiya's student as well... But he lost a dear friend and their country was engulfed in war constantly. He lost himself to that pain. He wanted to cleanse the world of pain by showing the world the devistating toll war has on everyone. But Naruto says that war will only create more hatred, and the hatred would consume everyone."

"..." Sasuke looked up towards the sky again, closing his eyes. "Naruto..." He murmured.

Suddenly, there was yet another bright flash.

"Pein... He's using the Gedo: Revival technique...!"

All over Konoha, bright lights rained down across the city, and two shined down upon Kakashi and Karin.

Sasuke's eyes widened, Shikamaru's mouth parting in slight shock.

"C-can it... Can it be...?" Sasuke dared to ask.

As if by magic, the wounds on the two's bodies closed and sealed as if they'd never been there and their chests began to rise and fall with life-giving air.

Breaking away from Shikamaru, Sasuke ran over. "Kakashi! Karin!" He cried as he dropped down next to them.

"S-Sasu...ke...?" Karin asked as her red eyes slowly opened.

Sasuke's eyes stung from the red liquid that began to fall down from his eyes once more. "Karin..."

Kakashi's eyes slowly opened as well and Sasuke looked over to him. "Kakashi..."

Karin sat up, before immediately launching herself forward, wrapping her arms around Sasuke tightly. "I'm sorry," She said. "I'm sorry to put you through that. I'm sorry you suffered because of me!"

Sasuke didn't respond for a long moment, a shocked look to his expression before he returned her embrace, closing his eyes. "You're back... That's all that matters. What I suffered...is nothing compared to how I feel now." His heart was fluttering, he felt an unknown joy well up inside of him, elation made him feel giddy and he nearly felt like laughing.

"Sasuke..." Kakashi began quietly.

"No more words," Sasuke replied. "Just let me have this moment of happiness."

Karin pulled away and wiped her own tears away, her smile watery as the rest of Taka gathered around her.

"You're such a bitch, flatchest. How could you be so selfish," Suigetsu complained.

"...Welcome back, Karin."

She let out a shaky laugh. "Thanks, guys."

"It's good to have you back, Kakashi." Inoichi said as Kakashi stood wearily.

Shikaku nodded. "I was afraid we'd have no good Jounin left."

Ino looked back and forth between Sasuke's smiling visage, to Kakashi's sheepish expression, feeling rather odd because she didn't quite fit in with either group. But she was happy, seeing Sasuke smile so radiantly, even if that smile wasn't for her. At least... She got the chance to see it. Suddenly, as if remembering, she cried out. "Oh! Lady Shizune!" She turned on her heel and began to run off.

The others watched her go for a moment before turning back to one another.

"Let's... Let's go home..." Sasuke mumbled to Shikamaru and his team. Ironically enough, when they looked, the Uchiha district was one of the few places still intact, as it was farther away from the main part of the town.

Sasuke stopped when he began to pass by Kakashi. After a moment, he grabbed the Jounin's wrist, causing the other to look at him. He took a breath before speaking. "...Thank you, Kakashi-sensei. I think I finally understand what you tried to teach us at the beginning. About friendship, teamwork, and protecting the people you cherish."

Kakashi looked surprised at the term 'sensei' Sasuke used, and was taken off guard when the teen smiled at him. After a moment, he recovered and reached out, plaing his hand ontop of the others head and gave his one-eyed smile. "I'm glad you've learned, Sasuke. Just remember, you have other friends who care about you."

Sasuke's eyes turned serious before he nodded again. "I know,"

"Just know that I'm one of them, alright?"

Sasuke's small smile returned before he nodded. "Yeah." With a slight wave of his hand, he took Shikamaru's hand in his and began to lead his team off towards the Uchiha complex.

"...He's come far," Inoichi commented, crossing his arms.

"It was love that saved him, you know." Shikaku responded, looking proudly at his son's retreating back. "I doubt things would have played out like this if Shikamaru hadn't have gotten involved."

Kakashi nodded idly. "I think you're right. Love does weird things to people, ne?" He gave a chuckle. 'Love, indeed...'

Sasuke moaned as Shikamaru slowly undressed him, placing kisses down his neck and shoulder as he went. His eyes closed and he let his body relax under the others touches. A shiver ran up his spine when the last article of clothing dropped, leaving him completely open to the other male's gaze.

He felt a flush come to his face when Shikamaru brought his hand up and traced along his cheek with a gentle caress, doing nothing more than touching him lightly as said fingers dipped down against his collarbone before continuing across his shoulder, down his arm, before taking his hand and threaded their fingers together.

"You're still beautiful," Shikamaru whispered.

Sasuke's eyes went lidded as the other leaned in. He tilted his head up just enough to meet him and their lips touched, before melding together passionately. He lifted his hand to grasp the other's shoulder, letting himself be swept away in the wonderful sensations he was still feeling. Happiness seeped into every corner of his body as his nerves began to thrum excitedly when Shikamaru began to touch his skin again, trailing his free hand up his spine and tracing a random pattern back down.

He mewled when Shikamaru let go of his hand, only for it to turn into a low moan when the teen brushed his fingers against his hip, teasing his way up his side, making his breathing a little more difficult as he shivered and squirmed beneath said touches. He groaned when Shikamaru broke their kiss and pressed into the hollow of his neck, beginning to nibble and teethe at the skin lightly.

"Sh-Shika..." He whispered, trembling beneath the ministrations his lover littered his skin with. Electricity powerful as the Chidori sparked through his system, heat pouring through his veins and liquid happiness fogging up his mind. He felt his knees threatening to give out as Shikamaru found a particularly sensitive spot on his neck and attached his teeth to it.

Shikamaru scooped Sasuke up bridal style and lazily strode over to the bed, lying the Uchiha onto it, looking him over appraisingly as if it were the first time he had ever saw him this way. Sasuke's blush darkened a shade or two and he tilted his head to the side, averting his eyes. He really didn't feel worthy of the others dedication and love. Although his heart sang and he was overjoyed every time the other told him he loved him, he still knew he wasn't worthy of it. He'd done nothing but give him heartache and pain in return.

His gaze returned slowly when he saw the other undressing as well. He smiled just a little before beckoning to the other to join him on the bed. He felt a shiver run up his spine as the taller teen crawled up the length of the bed, his gaze was filled with desire and love as he stared into them. "I love you, Sasuke," Shikamaru whispered as he nuzzled up his neck, nibbling at the shell of his ear.

"I... I..." Sasuke stuttered, he tried his best to force it out. He wanted to say it, to return his lover's words, but his throat always closed in on him whenever he wanted to say it. He chewed on his lip in shame. Shikamaru shook his head gently and gave the older teen a kiss to the corner of his mouth.

"You don't have to say it if you're not ready."

Sasuke nodded slowly, still feeling stupid that he couldn't even say three words that meant everything to him. However, that melted away when Shikamaru let his body completely meld against his, sending a rush of warmth through his system and a spike of excitement accompanied it.

He arched into every touch, moaned with every kiss and nip; he shuddered when their hips began to wind together, and mewled as he was wound higher and higher.

"Please," He whispered, arching his back up with a pleasured gasp at a particularly sharp love bite he recieved from his lover.

"Okay," Was the soft response against his skin.

**TBC**


	15. Chapter 15

**Title:** Not This Time**  
****Series:** Naruto: Shippuuden.  
**Rating:** R(M)  
**Genres:** Action-Adventure, Angst, Drama, Romance, Family-Friendship, uhh...I dunno?  
**Warnings:** Swearing, violence (when is this new?), sexual-themes? The author creating a weird love triangle? Uh...the author throwing the canon to the wind...? Yeah...

**DHC:** Well now, lookie what we got here! A brand new, shiny chapter for you all to read! I hope everyone enjoys this because I worked my butt off writing it. I spent forever on it because I was not satisfied with some of the prior versions I'd wrote and had to start all over a few times. I'm satisfied with this one, so I hope that you all are, too.

* * *

The next few days were chaotic, the clan heads and elders and the council were having a field day trying to decide who would be the acting Hokage. Finally, Sasuke put his foot down as he stormed into the meeting room, startling mostly all of the old dirtbags and some of the younger clan heads and unsheathed his katana and slammed it down through the meeting table.

"As a Clan head," He spoke lowly, venom in his voice, sharingan flickering in his eyes as if daring them to oppose his right as one. "And as a shinobi, I nominate Hatake, Kakashi to be our acting Hokage. He is our best Jounin, and right now, the best thing you've got to save your asses should another invasion occur. You should all be damn well ashamed of yourselves, bickering and bantering about politics while other shinobi, and civillians are idying/i because you can't get off your fat asses and decide!

"Time is ticking by and yet you waste it on unnecessary decisions and political standings, trying to make yourselves look good for gain. Well let me put it this way for you: you fuckheads want to live? Then get those sticks out of your asses and _act_, not talk."

Kakashi was standing in the shadows, mouth agape a little at how agressive Sasuke was taking the bull by the horns and literally throwing it clear across a field.

There was silence all around. And the first one to react was Nara, Shikaku who started laughing. "Sasuke is absolutely right. There's so much to be done and here we are, bantering like old wives. Our Hokage lays in a coma and we can't even decide what to do. I agree with him and his vote for Kakashi."

Hyuuga, Hiashi was the next to speak up. "I may not be in full acceptance to Uchiha-san's words, but I believe he is correct in most things. I agree with his proposition in electing Hatake-san to acting Hokage."

All around, slowly, the elders and clan council murmured amongst one another before eventually, the Daimyo spoke up. "Very well, Uchiha-san... Your words strike a certain chord within us. We agree to the nomination of Hatake, Kakashi to be acting Hokage."

Kakashi stepped forward from out of his corner in the shadows and bowed his head. "I will do my best to lead our people and make the best decisions possible until our Hokage awakens. I will also protect the village with my life." He glanced across the way out of the corner of his eye towards Sasuke who pulled his katana out of the table effortlessly and sheathed it, turning on heel, flicking his bangs as he exited the room.

_'Heh... He's more like his father, though he looks like his mother when it comes to politics... Cold and ruthless until the end until he gets his way.'_ He thought as the Daimyo began to make his speech about something or other that had to do with his necessary rights as the acting Hokage.

"Urgent message for the Hokage!" A kumo nin said as they ran up.

"I am the Hokage's assistant. She is unable to recieve it but I will take it-" Shizune began, but Kakashi appeared.

"Allow me to take that off of your hands. It appears I'm to be the acting Hokage until she awakens." Kakashi said as he took the scroll from the woman.

"..." He was silent for a long while.

"I'm afraid we cannot comply with what the Raikage wishes." Kakashi responded slowly.

"What? Why not!" The messenger replied.

"Because we already have Uchiha, Sasuke within the village and he is cooperating with us in the hunting of a dangerous rogue as well as providing us with information on the Akatsuki."

"What! He's here? Where! He's the one who took Raikage-sama's brother! He must be punished!"

"He was acting a double agent to the Akatsuki," Kakashi said sternly. "By all rights and laws, Uchiha, Sasuke is under our protection and jurisdiction. He will be punished according to our laws. As of the moment, however, he has been granted a temporary pardon until this rogue is either back in custody or dead. To act against him is to act against the whole of Konoha. We will not hesitate in calling upon our allies to aid us should Kumo try anything."

The woman looked frustrated and angry. She looked like she was about to scream, but grit her teeth. "Fine. You win. But once that time is up, be warned that if he ever steps foot into Kumo, he's dead."

"If you want him back, the Akatsuki have him," Came a voice from the door.

The woman whirled and saw Sasuke standing there against the door frame.

"He was still alive, and if you hadn't have wasted time coming here after me and instead went after them, then you'd have retrieved him by now. Now, he's probably dead because they've begun the sealing."

"What do you mean?" The woman demanded. "What sealing?"

"They want all the bijuu," Sasuke replied with a sigh. "They're after all the Jinchuuriki and if they extract the one from your Killer Bee, then all that's left standing between certain destruction is Konoha's Jinchuuriki."

The woman went pale. "W-why did you take him, then?"

"To gain this information, of course." Sasuke said smoothly. "Their leader would not have trusted me otherwise. All members must prove loyalty. I just never swore it to him."

"And you say that so easily! Bee-sama is another person just like you!"

"We're shinobi," Sasuke said lowly. "Weapons, tools. We may be human, but we're seen just as things to be used. I played my part as a tool, that is all. What or how I felt, you don't know, you're not me. You say you're a shinobi, but you sure don't act like one. Where's your pride? Your control? You come apart so easily at the slightest provocation."

"Sasuke," Kakashi said softly, gaining the Uchiha's attention. "Stop, please."

Sasuke went silent and bowed his head. "Hai. Call me, if I am needed. I'm going to go train my team." With that, he disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

By then, the woman was shaking at Sasuke's words, shaken up, angry, and ashamed all at once. She'd been insulted and yet she was the one at fault. Kakashi sighed softly. "I am sorry. But Sasuke is right, if you hurry, you may be able to save him. The Kazekage was a jinchuuriki and he had his extracted. He, however, was revived by a kinjutsu known only to one person who sacrificed their life for his. If you don't hurry, then your Bee-san will be lost."

The woman nodded after a moment of recovering. "Yes... I will send one of ours back to Kumo to alert the Raikage and the rest of us will go after the Akatsuki to retrieve Bee-sama."

"Be careful, the Akatsuki are formidable opponents, even if their numbers have dwindled. If the situation in Konoha were not so dire, I would be happy to spare what backup I could, but..." Kakashi grimaced.

"I understand. Thank you for your kindness, but we must leave quickly." With that, the woman bowed and ran out of the room at all haste.

Kakashi merely sighed while Shizune had watched the exchanged with a small puzzled expression. "What did the letter say, Kakashi-san ?"

"It says the Raikage was requesting permission from us to be allowed to hunt down and kill Sasuke for the assault and kidnapping of his brother, the Killer Bee, the Eight-Tailed Jinchuuriki." Kakashi responded solomnly.

Shizune's brows furrowed. "Sasuke-kun... He's done a lot of wrongs, but... Do you believe he deserves to die, Kakashi-san?"

"I don't think so, Shizune. I believe he has come around for the better, but it is true, his actions cannot fully go unpunished, unless Tsunade-sama decides so. But with the state Konoha's in, I don't think we're in any place to be holding trials or judging him now. He helped save the village and defend it against Pein; while it's not enough to redeem him, it is a start. I think it will be a while before we are in a state to be able to hold Sasuke accountable for his actions." Kakashi responded slowly, sighing heavily.

The woman nodded slowly. "Hai. We've many other things to worry about now: The rebuilding, tending to the wounded, not to mention all of the paperwork you're going to have to go over, Kakashi-san..."

Kakashi grimaced, nodding. "Yeah..."

Later on, Naruto and Sakura were walking together along the outskirts of the village, having witnessed the Kumo messengers come and go in a hurry.

"Ne, Naruto..." Sakura began softly, looking up towards the sky.

"Huh? What is it, Sakura-chan?"

"Well... It's just... Something has been bugging me, that's all..."

"What is it?"

"Well... Sasuke said something to me when we went to get him."

"What was it?" Naruto asked curiously.

"He said... He said he could kill us and have no remorse... He told ime/i he could kill me and not feel anything..."

"What!" Naruto gasped.

"Shh, keep it down, dummy!" Sakura shushed, frowning deeply.

"Why would he say anything like that?" Naruto demanded.

"Because... Because I... I was stupid and got mad. I asked him if he even cared that we loved him and missed him; that we wanted him back in our lives." She replied. She left out the part about him drawing his katana on her, she knew Naruto would blow a gasket if she did.

"Sakura-chan..." Naruto said softly, frowning as well.

Little known to them, Sasuke was not out of their earshot, standing several yards away with Shikamaru, Karin, Suigetsu, and Juugo.

"Sasuke... Did you really...?" Shikamaru asked.

Sasuke looked ashamed, looking away. "I... I did that and worse. I drew my katana on her. Karin came after Sakura left and..." He bowed his head and mumbled something lowly.

"What?" Shikamaru asked.

"...I said that I didn't mean it. But I think I burned a bridge I'll never be able to cross again."

"Oh, Sasuke..." Karin said softly, looking sympathetic, because she'd been the only one to witness just how broken Sasuke had been over it.

"Why can't you just apologize?" Juugo asked.

"It's harder than you think," Sasuke said. "I nearly killed Naruto and walked away like it was nothing twice, and now I nearly killed Sakura. They won't forgive me even if I did apologize."

"Heh, it sounds to me like you're just a pussy." Suigetsu taunted, crossing his arms.

Back with Naruto and Sakura, they were silent in a sort of melancholic sorrow. "I..." Sakura began and Naruto looked up at her.

"I...don't know what to feel anymore. I know somewhere in me I truly don't love Sasuke like I used to, but I... I just wish... I wish I could turn back time and take it all back, my stupidity and my stupid crush and been someone he could have trusted and relied on. Maybe then... Maybe then, he wouldn't have..."

Naruto shook his head. "Don't say that, Sakura-chan! You didn't know, I didn't know. We didn't understand how far Sasuke's sorrow was, didn't understand just how deep his hate ran. We thought our kindness could help him, but honestly, I don't think...we could have saved him. But all this time, I still hope, still believe one day we can be friends again. Even if it's our last day together of our lives, even for a fragile moment; I believe he'll understand."

Sakura's eyes welled up and a few tears slipped down. "Naruto... I... No, you're right. You're right... I can't give up faith, but I know I gotta move on from this foolish delusion he'll someday love me, not when I know my heart will only get broken. I just wish I could tell him this. I want to tell him I understand now."

"It's not too late, Sakura-chan. It's never too late." Naruto encouraged, bringing himself to smile, despite the pain in his own heart. He, too, had come to realize that nothing would ever flourish between him and Sakura. It was painful, but he'd come to accept it. Just like Sakura, he knew he had to move on, but the thought hurt him deep. "Just like I...know you'll never love me, Sakura-chan. It's not too late to tell him this."

"N-Naruto..." Sakura responded, bowing her head, fists clenching. A few more tears slipped down. They were silent for a long while again.

"You're going to hate me, Sasuke-kun..." Karin said softly to the Uchiha.

Sasuke looked at her, he was shaking a little from how much he felt from listening to the other two. "Why...?"

"Because... You must go to them, Sasuke-kun. I'm...sorry!" At the last word, Karin dashed straight at him. Before he could even react, she connected with him in a hard kick, sending him crashing out of the tree they were in with a loud yelp.

Startled, both Naruto and Sakura whirled, taking stances only for their eyes to widen as they saw Sasuke falling. The Uchiha righted himself just before he hit the ground and landed in a crouch.

They then noticed the others in the tree. Karin gave a nod to them before she turned and took off in a flash across the trees, disappearing out of sight before the others followed after her, knowing they needed to give the three space.

There was a tense air around them. Sasuke wouldn't look at them, he kept looking at the ground, his shoulders dropped and his fists kept clenching and unclenching.

Naruto and Sakura looked between one another, wondering just how much the others had heard and at the same time, thanking the redheaded girl for the chance she'd given them to speak to their former teammate.

"S-Sasuke..." Sakura started, taking a bold step forward, before another, and another, eventually stopping beside the other. She didn't look at him and kept her eyes out towards the Hokage statues and frowning slightly at the state they were in. "I... I'm sorry. I was foolish, and I wanted to tell you... I understand now. You never loved me anything more than a friend when we were young and you don't love me now. I understand that you may never care for me again and-"

"Stop," Sasuke said suddenly.

"Wh-what?" Sakura said.

"Don't finish that sentence. You're wrong..." Sasuke said softly again, finally looking up. He didn't look at her completely, but had moved his eyes just enough to see her out of the corner. "When I told you I could kill you without regret... I lied. I would have done anything to protect you, I would have sacrificed myself for you just as easily as I did Naruto. What you need to understand is..."

His eyes closed and his head rose up towards the sky. "I'm a coward. I run away from the things I don't want to face or I try my best to push it away. I'm afraid to care, to love, to trust, because I was always afraid it would be taken away, or it would leave me. I tried so hard to keep you all away because I couldn't bare the thought of losing you, any of you.

"You need to understand that I can't apologize for what I've done to either of you because the words are empty and mean nothing, even if I mean them, because everyone says 'I'm sorry', and then turn around and break them. But, I have no way to show you just how much I regret the things I've done. As it is, I may never get the chance once Danzou is dead, because I may be put to death for what I've done."

There was silence, before Naruto found himself walking forward to stand on the other side of Sasuke. Slowly, his hand rose up and slowly, rested on Sasuke's shoulder. "That's all you ever had to say. All of the times you did care were enough to keep us going, there was never a day that past that we didn't think of you, didn't blame you, didn't wish you'd say these words."

Sakura's own hand slowly, shakingly rose up and placed hers ontop of Sasuke's other shoulder. A few tears spilled from her eyes again as she spoke. "I may have given up, may have lost my courage and faith, but I never stopped believing in you. I was always the one with scraped knees, trying to catch up to you two, but I... We were... I..." She paused, trying to collect her thoughts, taking a breath before she continued.

"I...became stronger, better, I wanted to show to you that I believed. I was weak, without ambition, without a dream. But, when you left, you gave me the courage and gave me a dream. You gave me a dream that one day we'd be together again and I worked so hard to make that happen. Maybe I didn't make it come true personally, but the Kami smiled at this dream, because...you're here. Right here, right now, standing with us once again."

Both of them could feel Sasuke's shoulders shaking, could feel every tremble as his hands clenched and unclenched, could see the variety of emotions playing out across the Uchiha's face.

"I won't ask you to forgive me, even though I know you do. But I want to say...you're both still important to me."

Naruto and Sakura found the will to smile. Looking at one another, they gave a subtle nod. Before Sasuke could move, he found his eyes widening as he felt arms envelope him and felt Sakura and Naruto embracing him.

"It's okay if you don't ask. Just so long as you know we do, just so long as you know we love you. Just so long as you know we'll be there..." Sakura whispered into his ear.

"Yeah, we're still Cell Seven at heart, even if you have your own team now." Naruto echoed.

"Naruto... Sakura..." Sasuke murmured, feeling his body fall lax into the double embrace. "...Thanks."

They stood like that for a long moment before Naruto and Sakura pulled away.

They stood together in a long, but comfortable silence, perhaps a reminiscent of their days as Cell Seven.

"Oi! Naruto!" Came a voice.

All three turning, they saw two figures they instantly recognized.

"Inari! Old Man!" Naruto cried gaily and waved his hand at them.

"Sakura-chan! You've grown and look so lovely now," Inari praised.

Sakura gave out a quiet giggle and struck a girly pose. "You think?"

"So what brings you guys up here?" Naruto asked.

"We heard about Konoha's problem and came up to lend a hand in its reconstruction," Tazuna replied.

Inari turned and gave a wide smile up to Sasuke. "Hi, Sasuke!"

Sasuke tilted his head a little towards the boy, the faintest of smiles curling to his lips before he dipped his head. "Hn," He responded.

"Hahaha! Still the same as ever, I see!" Tazuna responded to Sasuke's action before he passed the three. "We can catch up later, for now we're gonna lend ourselves to helping out!"

Naruto grinned his cheeky grin. "Sure thing! Just don't strain your back, old man!"

"Bah," Was the only reply he got. Inari grinned all the wider and waved at the three before jogging off ahead of his grandpa, talking loudly about how much he was gonna do.

"That was a surprise," Sakura said with a smile.

"It sure was," Naruto agreed. "It's nice to see them after so long. Brings back memories..."

Sasuke was silent but he nodded his head. He could never forget their time in Wave. It was the first time he'd ever thought about someone other than himself in his actions as he shoved Naruto out of the way of Haku's senbon.

"...Sasuke?" Sakura asked softly.

"I... I've always been so selfish..." He whispered softly, looking up towards the sky. "I always thought only of myself. That day... I truly thought I was going to die. To die before I'd ever fulfilled my ambitions. But I did it freely; I did it because for once, I cared enough about someone to put myself in such a situation."

Naruto's eyes misted over for a moment, emotion overcoming him for a long moment. "Sasuke..." He said quietly, trying his best to convey his feelings. "I never truly thanked you, but the thought of losing you... It had brought out the nine tails' power inside of me. The emotional turmoil i'd felt, the thought of losing someone I thought of as family... I nearly lost myself in that. Even recently, in the battle against Pein. I nearly lost myself then and freed the demon. The pain of losing something so precious as a friend, or family, even a lover... I can understand now. That's why I can truly thank you for what you did that day."

Sasuke looked towards Naruto, his eyes flickering with untold emotions before he nodded his head. "I also owe thanks to you, Sakura..." He said, turning to look towards the pink haired young woman.

"Me...?" She asked softly.

"During the Chuunin Entrance Exams, when you put yourself in harms way to protect us when we were out... You put yourself into such a situation that you could have lost your life, but you didn't care, all you thought about was protecting us to the end... And you cared enough to stop me when the cursed mark took over my system. If you had not..." He trailed off and looked away.

Sakura was shaking a little, but gave a watery smile. "I would have done anything to protect you guys. I think that was the moment I truly began to grasp what being a kunoichi was all about. We were a team. Nakama. When it was just me there, against all of them, I'd been so afraid, but I knew I couldn't give up. I found the courage to keep going even when all I wanted to do was give in to my fatigue."

Naruto smiled slowly, it was bright and proud. "You've grown so much since then, Sakura-chan. I'm so proud to have you as one of my nakama."

Sasuke nodded slowly. "You've shown so much strength in the face of adversity and not giving up even when you want to... It is a type of strength I lack."

"Guys..." Sakura said, several tears falling down her cheeks before she wiped them away to smile brightly. "Thanks."

At that moment, Sai appeared before them. "Kakashi-san summons the four of us."

Sasuke's brow rose but said nothing as the other two nodded. He followed after the three, feeling a bit awkward at the thought of being replaced by this other person in Team Seven. Then again, he already said there would no longer be a Sasuke-Naruto-Sakura team ever again...had he lied once more? He didn't know, but he did know he was jealous of this Sai and his place he seemed to hold to Sakura and Naruto.

The four of them made it to the semi-standing Hokage mansion where they'd restored partial order to all the paperwork and documents-most of the important ones had been evacuated to the caves along with the civillians.

"What is it, Kaka-sensei?" Sakura asked curiously.

"The Kage's have been summoned for a full-fledged meeting. I'm requesting that you, Sai, and Naruto accompany me as my personal guards."

Naruto and Sakura's eyes widened. "You're... You're sure, Kakashi?" Naruto squeaked out.

"The three of you are some of the best shinobi left here in the village and I have full faith in your abilities as a team."

Again, another sting of pain stabbed through Sasuke at the word 'team' because he knew he wouldn't be apart of it.

"What about Sasuke?" Naruto asked, glancing towards him. He seemed to pick up on the negative feeling the Uchiha was exuding.

Kakashi nodded, turning to Sasuke and gave a one-eyed smile. "Sasuke will be accompanying us with his team and will act as a seperate unit to ensure that Danzou or any other dangerous enemy interferes."

Sasuke nodded slowly. "I understand. We will not allow Danzou or any member of Akatsuki to intervene the conference. If necessary, we will take them out at any cost."

Kakashi nodded again. "Thank you. Everyone prepare and assemble at the edge of town in two hours! Dismissed."

Nodding, they all turned and exited.

An hour later found Team Taka packed and ready. Sasuke was anxious and a little disappointed. Again, there was that jealous streak inside of him.

"What's wrong, Sasuke-kun?" Karin asked softly as she fell into step beside him in his walking.

"I'm jealous, Karin. I shouldn't be."

"Jealous?" Karin inquired, brows raising.

"I said there would never be a Uchiha-Haruno-Uzumaki team ever again, but... I find myself jealous of the replacement for me. I find myself wishing to be beside them once again. Is it selfish of me?"

Karin smiled and shook her head. "No, I don't think that's selfish. I think that's a normal, if not good reaction to have. You're human, Sasuke-kun. We, in our lives as Shinobi teach ourselves to hone out such feelings when we go on missions, but soon it becomes a part of our everyday lives. We forget to turn that mode off. I think you're remembering how to become human again." She answered.

Sasuke was silent for a while, coming to a stop over the bridge that overlooked the lake. "I used to train so hard there," He pointed down to the pier. "I wanted nothing more than to be recognized by father. I feel foolish now about it, but I would be there, trying so hard to master the Goukkyaku no jutsu. I forgot what it was like to be human even then because I couldn't think for myself. My brother gave me that freedom... Itachi died to give me that freedom... Now that I am free, I find it...awkward trying to express myself."

"That's normal, I believe." Karin said as she adjusted her glasses, still with a smile. "We're all clumsy when learning something we don't know, something new. But that's how we become better, right? By trying over and over. You practiced that jutsu for so long, and now look at how powerful it is. The same will happen when you try to live. You'll become that much better."

Sasuke's lips curled the slightest, before he gave a nod. "Hn," He answered with the slightest of nods. "Thanks, Karin."

"Anytime." She replied. "Shall we go?"

"Yeah." Sasuke answered before they began to walk once again towards their meeting destination with the rest of Taka.

Shikamaru took a lazy drag from his cigarette, glancing up at the sky. The clouds floated lazily by and he lost himself to thought. Idle memories of Itachi and him staring at the moonlit clouds after a long days training from beneath covers of his bedroll, the older Uchiha pointing out endless constellations in the star-lit sky, so many he could never hope to remember them all, a hollow, bittersweet smile came to his features after another drag of his cigarette had been taken.

"What's with him?" Suigetsu asked Juugo.

"I know not." Juugo answered, shrugging.

"I've never seen him space out like that. It's...unnerving."

"He must have a lot on his mind. Afterall, this is his home and it technically got destroyed right infront of him." Juugo responded slowly, looking thoughtful.

At that moment, Sasuke and Karin walked up to them. Sasuke glanced at his lover, frowning a little as he recognized what he was thinking about. 'Itachi... Did you find your happiness within him?' He asked silently, but pushed it away moments later. "We're to meet at the edge of town in another hour. Til then, we should go over our supplies. Karin, give me a rundown on our stock."

"Right," Karin responded, pulling out a list as she adjusted her glasses. "We've at least a four month supply of rations, we've opted out to take it all, carrying about two month's, we managed to recover plenty of ninja tools unbroken after clearing through the wreckage of the cleanup. We have approcimately two hundred items to account for. We have ten gallons of water, and I took the liberty to stock up on medicinal herbs in the forest and prepare them into various healing creams and pills. I have made one hundred creams and two hundred pills. I've divided the creams twenty each for all of us and divided the pills fourty I doubt we will need that many, but it never hurts to be ready. That is all for inventory."

Sasuke nodded in satisfaction. "Good, Karin. Suigetsu, weapon status?"

"As flatchest said, we've got about two hundred weapons. All are useable and divided by fourty for each of us. Here," He tossed Sasuke and Karin a satchel each of their items, having given Juugo and Shikamaru theirs already. "Senbon, shuriken, tags and a couple of kunai for flatchest. For you, Sasuke, kunai, shurken, and some tags."

"Got it. Thanks, Suigetsu." Sasuke nodded.

"Whatever."

Shikamaru finished the last inhalation of his cigarette before he snubbed it out and rejoined the conversation. "What's the objective?"

Sasuke nodded again, pulling out a map. They all crouched around him as he laid it flat on the ground.

"We'll be heading here," He said, taking a senbon and pointing to the area on the map. "While the acting Hokage leads with his team, we'll be shadowing them. Our mission is to make sure no one decides to sabatoge the Hokage's meeting at the summit. Should Danzou appear, we take him out. Should any Akatsuki member appear, our job is to route them away long enough to alert the Kage's of what's going on and if possible, take them out."

"Right," Shikamaru mumbled, sighing. "Mendoukusai."

Sasuke snorted. "We have it easy. At least we're not going to be the ones sitting through the boring discussions... The dobe's going to be going through hell."

Shikamaru grinned faintly. "That's true."

Taking the map back, they all stood. "Our objective is clear. We'll split into teams to patrol around the area. Juugo, Karin, you'll be a team that will patrol the eastern side. Suigetsu, Shika, you'll take the western. I'll take the southern."

"Alone?" Juugo asked.

"Don't worry about me. I'll send a flare of chakra if I need any of you." He answered, brushing his bangs back flippitantly.

"Should an Akatsuki member appear, Karin, your job as the fastest of us is to alert Kakashi of the attack."

"Got it." She replied, twirling a strand of her red hair around between her fingers.

"That's all. Let's go to the meeting area and wait."

With twenty minutes to spare before the others would arrive, Sasuke leaned against a tree with a small sigh.

"What's wrong?" Shikamaru asked.

"...I've got a bad feeling. There's this ache in my body that's saying something's going to happen."

"Aa. Sou desu ne..."

"Hai."

Shikamaru looked Sasuke in the eyes, recieving a hesitant flicker from him before he reached out and placed his hand on the Uchiha's cheek. "Don't faulter now,"

Sasuke nodded mutely, sighing softly. "I just don't want to screw up."

"Sasuke..."

"No, don't. I know what you'll say. But I still can't shake this feeling."

Before Shikamaru could respond, Kakashi, Naruto, Sai, and Sakura appeared.

"Yo."

Shikamaru slowly pulled his hand away from Sasuke and gave him an encouraging nod before he turned towards Kakashi.

Sasuke nodded. "Shall we leave now?"

"Yeah, we need to make good time today in order to make it to the summit on time." Kakashi responded before he began to run off in the direction they were headed in, leaving the rest to follow after.

Sasuke fought off a shudder that had nothing to do with the penetrating cold seeping through his cloak as he began to run after the others, motioning for the rest of Taka to follow. This was going to be a huge turning point, he felt. The ominousness that seeped inside of him continued to grow the farther they got from Konoha.

_'Itachi... Watch over us.'_ He prayed silently.

********

****

**TBC**


	16. Chapter 16

**Title:** Not This Time**  
****Series:** Naruto: Shippuuden.  
**Rating:** R(M)  
**Genres:** Action-Adventure, Angst, Drama, Romance, Family-Friendship, uhh...I dunno?  
**Warnings:** Swearing, violence (when is this new?), sexual-themes? The author creating a weird love triangle? Uh...the author throwing the canon to the wind...? Yeah...

**DHC:** Well, I come with the first part of the chapter. It's short, but it's going to escalate, I assure you. Oh, and I've not abandoned you, dear people, I AM working on the other stories, I've just been out of touch for a while. So, without further ado, here's the first part!

* * *

The trek to the summit was long, harsh, and cold. Sasuke couldn't feel the tips of his toes or fingers by the time they reached it. Shikamaru, however, didn't seem nearly as affected as the rest of the others, which made him wonder exactly what Itachi taught him that possibly made him so durable despite any weather.

Shikamaru, at the same time, was thanking Itachi for all the training he gave him that ensured he was at his best despite the weather. He could continuously focus enough chakra through his system at all times that kept his body tempature regulated. That, and... He sighed for the umpteenth time inwardly. He knew he had to tell Sasuke soon, but he was sure if he told him now... Again, he shook his head outwardly, which did not go unseen by some of Taka. Karin caught up to him, though she was shivering and breathing hard. The weather conditions affected her the most, as she was untrained for this type of terrain.

"S-Shikamaru-se-senpai?" She stuttered, teeth chattering as she pulled her cloak tighter around herself, drawing the hood closer to her head to ward off any extra snowflakes that tried to enter inbetween the gap.

Shikamaru glanced towards her, frowning when he noticed her condition, but inclined his head to acknowledge her unspoken question in her voice. She looked at him for a moment before nodding. "It's not my place to ask..." She mumbled, shivering again. "But you have been off-balance this whole journey."

Shikamaru sighed again. He held his hand up to her to silence her for a moment. "I will explain. Give me a moment."

She nodded, huddling down in her cloak. Shikamaru stopped, as did Karin beside him. "Sasuke," Shikamaru called.

Immediately, Taka haulted. Up ahead, as did Kakashi, Sai, Naruto, and Sakura.

Sasuke turned towards him, frowning when he saw Karin in the condition she was in.

Shikamaru nodded. "Go ahead of us, I'm going to help Karin. We'll catch up once she is stabilized." He said seriously.

Sasuke looked like he was going to protest for a moment, but he also saw critically how close the girl was to catching hypothermia.

Sakura turned to them. "I can help-"

"Iie." Karin spat, a little bitterly. "I trust Shikamaru-senpai." She held her head up defiantly and again, there was a huge spark of venom between the two girls, but Sasuke stopped it. "You have two hours."

Shikamaru nodded. "We'll be there."

Sasuke nodded seriously and turned on his heel. "Suigetsu, Juugo, let's move." He ordered.

The other two nodded seriously and began to walk off. Kakashi frowned at the way Sakura was shaking in mild anger and hurt, but there wasn't anything he could really do about it. Naruto took it upon himself to try and cheer her up but putting his arm around her and declaring loudly that she didn't need to waste her energy, and she should save her strength as they began to leave them behind.

Once they were long out of sight, Shikamaru sighed, turning to the girl. She was nearly convulsing from how strong the way she was shivering.

"Karin, you know how the chakra system works and how it flows outwardly when used in a justu." He murmured to her. She nodded.

"What I'm going to teach you will work your chakra system from the inside out, instead of the other way around."

"G-got it." She said focusedly.

"Close your eyes, visualize your chakra network and feel how it flows. When you do that, attempt to speed up the chakra flow through your system by 12 percent."

The girl pushed her glasses up, teeth chattering as she nodded and closed her eyes. He could feel the chakra energy beginning to flow inside of her with the way she took on a small light blue aura. After a long while, he finally noticed that her shivering was slowly dying down, colour was trying to come back to her pale cheeks and her lips were no longer as purple as before.

"Good," He praised softly. "Now, I want you to concentrate on keeping that same flow of your chakra while we move."

She nodded and opened her eyes. "It feels...warmer."

"That is because you've sped up the chakra flow in your system, which has raised your body and core temperature by a small percentage. You are very good at chakra-conservation and control, so this should be simple for you to consciously maintain that same amount of control on the inside." Shikamaru murmured.

"Itachi-san taught you all of this...?" Karin asked softly, knowing she was trekking on thin ice, that the subject was a very fragile thing to both Sasuke and Shikamaru.

"Yes," He answered softly. "As for your original question... Karin, feel my chakra."

Karin looked up puzzedly at Shikamaru, wondering how this was going to answer anything. Shikamaru held out his arms, and pushed his sleeve up a little to bare his skin. Karin reached out her own hand and touched his skin, eyes closing as she began to analyze and read his chakra. After a few long moments, her eyes flew open wide with a gasp. "My god, your chakra-"

"I know." Shikamaru said softly. "It's mutating. Please, don't tell Sasuke. I've yet to tell him... Infact, I..." He sighed, looking up towards the sky again, sighing.

"When did it start...?" She asked softly.

"When I summoned the Demon Reaper when we faught the Killer Bee. In exchange for his power he took..." He sighed again. "He took part of my humanity; my body couldn't have possibly handled the Demon's chakra by itself. Gradually, my chakra has been mixing, and moulding and reforming. Also..."

Karin was frowning, but at the same time, looking worried. "What...?"

When Shikamaru looked up at her, she could barely contain her gasp. "Don't tell Sasuke, please." He asked as he closed his eyes and looked away again. Karin nodded. "I promise." She said softly.

Shikamaru nodded. "We're going to train a little. You're going to have to subconsciously keep channeling that same amount of chakra continuously as we go while trying to avoid my strikes. We'll just use taijutsu only as I don't really trust my chakra a whole lot right now."

Karin nodded, moving a bit ways back and fell into a passive stance, one hand poised back, on even level with her waist, the other closed into a fist and she raised that arm on even with her chest-level to block over her heart, her expression morphing to a concentrated one.

Shikamaru nodded, taking a stance of his own. "Ikuzo!"

Karin charged for him, pulling her hand at her waist up, twisting her wrist and closed her fingers tight, tensing the muscles in her forearm and struck at Shikamaru's midsection with a punch. The shadow user saw it coming and parried her swing by staving off her blow with his arm, knocking her punch off target, swinging his knee up and caught the girl in her abdomen.

She let out a grunt, twisting her free-arm and slammed her elbow down into the pressure point of his leg as he impacted with her, causing him to jolt away and release her. Without wasting another second, she closed in again, swinging her fists towards him in deadly combinations, a left hook towards his shoulder, aimed to shatter the joint, another jab towards his ribs, an open-handed strike aimed for the chest directly over the heart, and followed up by a right-handed undercut.

Shikamaru was once again surprised at how strong and fast Karin had become in such a short time as he did his best to absorb the shock of some of the blows and parry the others. He let his body fall back out of reflex to avoid the undercut, back almost gracefully arcing as he planted his hands on the ground before he swung his leg up, kicking off with the other, catching the recovering girl off guard under the jaw with his foot as he flipped around.

Before he could fully make his flip complete, her hand wrapped around his ankle and she twisted, wrenching his leg around and with her strength completely threw him around, sending him flying off about twenty feet to hit the snow-covered ground.

Shikamaru stood up with a wince. Karin was about to apologize, but stopped when she saw Shikamaru's shadow animate from the ground and wrap around his ankle, glowing a ghastly colour before slinking back into the ground. She looked at him, and he shrugged. "The demon's chakra give me this kind of healing power... My shadows act as a kind of channel between their world and ours, his chakra heals my system twice as fast."

Karin adjusted her glasses and nodded. "It makes sense. If he took some of your humanity, then some of him must reside in you. Since you're mortal, there carries a risk of part of him dying as well, I'd assume he see's your harm as a liability."

"Possibly," Shikamaru scratched the back of his head. By now, full colour had returned to Karin, and she didn't even seem to notice she was continuously channeling that chakra through her now. "Let's get moving to catch up, we shouldn't fall too far behind. I think you've grasped the concept of the exercise."

She nodded. "Hai. Let's go, Shikamaru-senpai."

They took off at a run, following the tracks the others had left for them to catch up.

They caught up and they made it to the summit earlier than expected.

Kakashi turned towards Sasuke. "You will be fine?" He asked.

Sasuke gave a confidant nod. "Yes. If the Akatsuki or Danzou appears, Karin will come to alert you. We'll route them away and eliminate them if possible."

Taka nodded to accentuate Sasuke's words.

Kakashi gave his one-eyed smile. "I'm counting on you."

Naruto stepped forward and stared at Sasuke seriously. Their eyes met and whatever they said to one another in that silence, Sasuke finally gave a nod. Naruto grinned and held his fist out. Sasuke reciprocated and tapped Naruto's fist with his own. Sakura smiled widely at the two. "We'll take care of things inside," She assured softly. "Be careful."

Sasuke looked to her and nodded.

Sai stepped forward after a long moment and Sasuke looked to him. There was silence. Finally, Sai spoke. "While I may be your replacement for this time, Naruto-kun has indeed shown me that bonds cannot break." He smiled. "I can only hope you forgive me for taking your place."

Sasuke stared at the other for a long moment. Finally, he shook his head. "You didn't," He said softly, turning his head away, gazing out towards the summit. "...You made your own place." He looked back at Sai, meeting his eyes. "...Take care of them. They're nakama."

Naruto's eyes widened and Sakura let out a soft gasp, and Kakashi smiled just a little beneath the mask. Sai nodded. "I understand."

Sasuke turned away from the four wordlessly, stepping towards Taka. "Let's go. We've got checkpoints to set up."

With a nod, the team took off, leaving the four standing there at the entrance to the meeting grounds.

"Let's head inside," Kakashi suggested.

"Right." Naruto said, recovering from the scene at hand. Sakura nodded. "Hai!"

Sai only gave a mild nod as followed the three inside. _'Nakama...'_ He thought to himself as he glanced back to see Sasuke and his team disappearing into the flurry of snow that was gradually getting worse.

**TBC**


End file.
